


I'm With You

by emquin



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: AU, Crushes, Dog - Freeform, Fire Fam - Freeform, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstanding, Movie AU, While You Were Sleeping - Freeform, While You Were Sleeping AU, barista Buck, buddie, lying, pinning, romcom, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 90,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23448151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emquin/pseuds/emquin
Summary: Having a crush was nothing to be ashamed of...lying to the family and friends of said crush about being the guy’s boyfriend, that was a whole other problem. When Buck saves the life of Andrew Diaz and accidentally makes a nurse think that he’s Andrew’s boyfriend, Buck soon finds himself lying to Andrew’s firefighter friends/coworkers as well as Andrew’s family including Andrew’s very suspicious and attractive brother, Eddie.Based on the 1995 movie While You Were Sleeping.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/OC
Comments: 326
Kudos: 408





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. I am back with another fic. This is based on one of my favorite rom coms: While You Were Sleeping (1995). I was watching it a few weeks back and I just wanted a Buddie version of it. Anyone that hasn't seen it: go watch it immediately, it's a classic. Rom coms are not made like they used to be. 
> 
> The fic title comes from the song of the same name by Vance Joy. Listen to it, it is perfect. 
> 
> Editing this to add that this fic is being translated into Chinese by [trosa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trosa/pseuds/trosa) and can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25749913/chapters/62531764)
> 
> Enjoy. :)

Coffee Time was always busy at three very specific times of the day. In the morning from opening at 6am until around 9am and then 12pm to around 1pm and then after 5pm until just after 7pm. The rest of the day was full of the odd person stopping in for a quick snack or drink and they often got a few people that loitered and sat at tables by the windows with their notebooks or laptops. Buck worked the morning shift going in at 5am to get everything ready for opening and leaving just after their lunch rush and it meant that Buck was there when Mr. Perfect arrived for his usual order : two black regular, one mocha latte, one iced green tea no sugar, and a regular latte. 

Mr. Perfect arrived for the lunch rush which meant that there was never any real time for idle chat. He also always placed his order online for pick up and there was never a name attached. Just the order number. Buck was always the one to fill it and as tempting as it was to add his number to one of the cups, he also had no idea if Mr. Perfect was interested in men and which of the cups in the order was his. So, he never did. Instead, he admired from afar. It felt like the easiest thing to do. 

It was busier than usual on a Thursday probably due to some event happening down the street. It meant that they had people coming in and out in what seemed like a stream and Buck was getting behind on filling orders. So much so that he failed to get Mr. Perfect’s order ready before he arrived like usual. 

Mr. Perfect busied himself with his phone while he waited and didn’t seem too bothered at the wait or how crowded the place was and it gave Buck a few moments to admire him. He was broad and muscular and his shirt seemed to be just a little tight on him but Buck didn’t mind the way that it helped to make his biceps look big. The logo on the corner of his chest suggested that Mr. Perfect was a firefighter but Buck wasn’t entirely sure if that was his profession. But what really captivated Buck was the way he always smiled when he was picking up his order like he genuinely meant it. His eyes crinkled and they were so warm and dark and Buck loved them. It always left him feeling a bit distracted after Mr. Perfect walked away. He had that kind of affect on Buck and Buck knew that he would never really talk to him. 

“One day, I want you to form sentences and speak to him,” his coworker, Ali, said, nudging him and passing on a marked cup for the current customer in line. 

“Or never,” Buck said with a sigh. 

The thing was that Buck wasn’t a shy person. And he definitely wasn’t shy about flirting or about getting someone to hook up with him. At least, that was who he used to be. But ever since his girlfriend, Abby, went off on a trip to Ireland and then ghosted him, Buck just didn’t know what he wanted. He didn’t think he wanted to go back to quick hook ups and one-night stands that left him feeling used and empty and yet he also wasn’t sure if he wanted to find someone to actually date. And Mr. Perfect — if Buck even had a chance with him — he was the kind that you wanted to date and fall in love with and marry and have a family with. 

When Buck had finally got around to getting Mr. Perfect’s order ready, he set it down on the pick up counter and called out his order number. Mr. Perfect looked up from his phone at once and walked over, his lips turning up into a full toothed smile. His eyes found Buck and for a second Buck wondered if he should try and talk to him but then the moment passed. 

“Thank you,” Mr. Perfect said and then dropped a few dollars into the tip jar. 

“Have a good day,” Buck managed before letting out a sigh. 

The next day, Mr. Perfect didn’t appear at his usual time and Buck pretended to be annoyed when Ali made fun of him for it but deep down he was a little sad about it. That he looked forward to seeing the same stranger at work more than any other part of his day should have been concerning, but Buck really didn’t have much else going for him. 

When the lunch rush died down Buck took off his apron and walked into the back to clock out. From the closet he grabbed his things and he walked back out. He was waving goodbye at Ali, when he saw Mr. Perfect walk in and Buck actually stopped to watch him as Ali got his order to him. Ali shrugged at Buck when she caught his eye but Buck was mostly just glad to see him. 

Buck made it out the door before Mr. Perfect turned away from the counter with his order, but he lingered outside looking in through the window like a creep before he shook his head at himself and started heading towards his car. He was so utterly pathetic. Buck hadn’t made it far when he heard someone yell out. When he turned, he realized that it was Mr. Perfect. 

At first Buck didn’t spot him and he couldn’t have if it wasn’t for the cup of spilled coffee that had rolled away from him. All of the drinks were spilled on him and around him and he was several feet off of the sidewalk on his back and not moving. Buck ran to his side. 

“Hey! Hey!” Buck yelled as he reached him but there was no response. 

Buck checked his pulse at once and let out a breath when there was one. He put his hand out by his nose to check if he was breathing and felt a few puffs of air. That was good. He was breathing and he had a pulse. 

“Okay. Okay. So what next. Can you hear me?” 

Buck tried shaking him a little but Mr. Perfect didn’t react. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around either so Buck fished his phone out of his pocket and he dialed 9-1-1. He was just in the middle of trying to explain what happened to the operator when Buck realized that they were on the street and that while the street had been empty for a while, a car was coming their way and not stopping. The driver couldn’t see them. 

“Holy shit,” Buck said and he scrambled to his feet, grabbing Mr. Perfect by the armpits and pulling. 

He was heavy and it was a bit difficult to maneuver a fully grown man but Buck was strong and somehow he managed to get him to the bike lane mere seconds before the car drove right over where Mr. Perfect had been lying. Buck let out a breath. 

“Oh my god,” he said. “That...that just happened.” 

Buck knew he should have felt scared but instead he felt energetic and like he could do anything at all. 

“Hello! Hello, what’s happening?” 

His phone was on Mr. Perfect’s chest and luckily it hadn’t fallen off while Buck was pulling him to safety. He grabbed it, then. 

“Sorry. Sorry. It’s just he was on the street. I pulled him out of the way. Car was coming. He’s still not awake. I don’t—”

“Sir, an ambulance is on the way. You said he’s breathing and has a pulse?” 

“Yes. Yes. Looks like maybe he hit his head.” 

Having moved him meant that Mr. Perfect’s head had lolled a bit and Buck could see that there was a growing lump. Buck also noticed that Mr. Perfect’s wallet was sticking out of his pocket and he figured he should grab it and get his name. The operator had asked for it at first but Buck didn’t know it. He literally knew nothing about him. 

His license was right there at the top and Buck pulled it out. His name was Andrew Diaz.

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur but he remembered being able to tell the operator Mr. Perfect’s name and age (he was 29). He followed the operator’s instructions and then waited. A few people had stopped by to ask what was going on and if they could help but there was nothing to do but wait. Buck just had to keep making sure that he was breathing. 

With Mr. Perfect — Andrew — out cold, Buck could really get to look at him without the danger of awkwardness if he was caught doing it. Andrew had long eyelashes that fanned out over the top of his cheeks. His hair looked curlier up close, a bit of a wave going through it. His lips were a nice rosy pink and just a bit chapped and Buck wished more than anything to be able to kiss him. There was a slight cleft to his chin and Buck could make out laugh lines next to his eyes and by his mouth. Up close, Buck could also make out a few freckles across his nose, not easy to notice on his skin tone. 

Buck almost didn’t hear the ambulance arrive due to how distracted he was especially when he noted that Andrew had a small scar on his jaw. It made Buck curious. 

Buck only got up when one of the paramedics touched his shoulder so he could get out of their way. He stood back and watched with a bit of fascination as they got a collar on him and then put him on a stretcher. They seemed to do a whole number of tests before they loaded him up but even then the whole thing was rather quick. 

“Is he — is he going to be okay?” Buck asked. 

“Just fine,” one of them said and then, “are you coming along?”

Buck was supposed to be just a bystander, a stranger with a crush that just happened to be the only person to see Mr. Perfect splayed out on the asphalt. He was the guy that helped out because he happened to be there but the way that the paramedic was looking at him like he was supposed to be more than that. 

“Uh...what hospital? I — my car is here. I can just drive there.” 

Buck had no idea why he said it or why he didn’t clear up that he was no one to Andrew but the guy that made him his coffee every day. After he had the information, Buck felt weird not going to the hospital to at least find out if Andrew would be okay. Maybe he felt a little weird about going too. It was for his own peace of mind and either way, Andrew didn’t have anyone else at the moment and Buck figured he should go and be there and maybe even wait it out until his family got there. Even as he tried to rationalize it, the whole thing felt stupid. 

When he arrived at the hospital almost an hour later because of traffic, he got just a little turned around but then finally found an information desk.

“Andrew Diaz. He just came in and I was — I was with him and—” 

Buck spotted him then. He was on a gurney now and they were rolling him away. 

“That’s...that’s him. I—”

“Honey, honey, calm down. Are you a family member or friend? I can only release information to family. Someone has probably already been tasked with informing his emergency contacts and—”

Buck tried to take a breath. He didn’t quite know why he was freaking out so much. Maybe everything was finally hitting him. “I — I saved him earlier and I just want to make sure that he’s okay because I’ve been seeing him pretty much every day for months now and he’s like this perfect guy, you know, and I was going to...I was going to marry him, I think, maybe. If I ever built up the courage to—”

“So you’re not immediate family, then,” the woman said and her tone which had been friendly and almost comforting a moment ago had gone flat. 

“I — no...no, I’m not.” 

“Nothing I can do, then,” she said and turned away in one fluid motion leaving Buck with an open mouth. 

Buck didn’t know what to do. Did he just leave and never find out what happened to Andrew? Did he wait it out to see if his family members came in? But then that would mean explaining himself and the whole weird crush from afar thing wouldn’t go off too well. Not to mention he really didn’t know Andrew at all. He’d learned his name a little over an hour earlier. Buck was just about to turn around and leave when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned and found a nurse. Not the one from earlier. This one was younger and she smiled sweetly at him. 

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Olivia and I sort of overheard you earlier. I’m sorry about her. She’s not the worst but she’s not very open minded. But if you want to see your boyfriend, I can make that happen. Or — well, will it be fiance soon?” 

Buck was speechless. Words completely failed him leaving his mind blank because that wasn’t what he was expecting. Olivia smiled at him and then motioned for him to follow her and Buck didn’t hesitate. She took him down the hall and past some doors into a room where Andrew was lying prone on a hospital bed. 

She pat his arm. “You can sit with him, if you want? No one will bother you. I should get back.” 

Buck didn’t even think about correcting her as she stepped towards the door because he could see Andrew through the glass and even in the hospital bed in a gown and with an IV line in his hand he still looked as handsome as ever. 

“And I bet today was a hard day. You’re the one that pulled him off the street too, right?” Oliva asked. “The paramedics were talking about it when they brought him in.” 

“I — yeah, I did.” 

“He was lucky you were with him,” Olivia said and she sighed. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it.”

Buck felt maybe a little bit odd, but he still walked over to the chair next to Andrew’s bed and he sat down. He would just linger for a moment and then leave and even if the nurse said anything about him to anyone it probably wouldn’t even matter. He just wanted to get another look at Andrew. Maybe next time he saw him stop by Coffee Time, Buck might actually talk to him. 

“Wish I could have met you properly,” Buck muttered. “But at least you’re going to be okay. Anyway, I should — I should go. I’m kinda being a bit delusional but I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Buck stood up and he looked at Andrew one more time.

Technically, Buck realized, he didn’t even know if Andrew would be okay. Olivia hadn’t bothered to tell him and maybe she didn’t even know. Looking at him, though, it made Buck hope that he wasn’t too badly off. His heart was a steady beat on the monitor and he was breathing on his own which had to mean something good. Not to mention that if he had been badly off he would have probably been in another place in the hospital like the ICU and not just a regular room. 

Buck didn’t mean to linger as long as he did, but sitting there next to Andrew was weirdly peaceful. It was also a lot less lonely. Buck knew he’d made a mistake when he heard footsteps at the door to the room. He didn’t turn at once, hoping to find Olivia or maybe Andrew’s doctor. Instead, he found a police officer. So maybe the nurse had been wrong and someone had called security on him. It was no matter, Buck was ready to go anyway. 

The woman stepped towards him. She looked like the very definition of authority. Her hand was on her belt inches from where her gun was holstered and the other she lifted towards Buck as she walked towards him. 

“I heard you were responsible for helping him out,” she said and Buck took her hand and shook it. 

Her grip was strong and sure. Buck would be stupid if that woman didn’t scare him just a little bit. 

“I — I did, yes,” Buck said. Maybe she was just there to question him. “I didn’t — I didn’t see what happened though. Just heard him yell out and then he was on the ground.” 

She nodded and made a humming noise. She wasn’t even looking at him though and instead her eyes were settled on Andrew. 

“He got lucky you were there, Mr…”

“Buckley,” Buck said. “Everyone calls me Buck, though.” 

She nodded. “Sergeant Grant,” she said. “But you can call me Athena. The nurse out there told me you’re Andrew’s boyfriend. I didn’t know he was dating anyone, but you saved his life so that makes you alright in my books even if he didn’t bother to fill me in on this development.”

Athena knew Andrew personally. Suddenly the hole he’d dug himself into felt like it had gotten feet deepert. But maybe if he just told the truth she wouldn’t hold it against him and he could walk out of the hospital without any trouble. Buck couldn’t lie to the police especially when the whole thing was a misunderstanding. All he’d wanted was to make sure that Andrew was okay.

“I—” his words were cut off when three people walked into the room. 

They were all in uniform but they weren’t police. They were firefighters. So at least Buck had been right when he guessed that Andrew was a firefighter. It was probably how he knew Athena seeing as they were first responders and probably worked closely together. Buck had always admired first responders and seeing them rush in towards the hospital bed and crowd it checking on their friend and co-worker, it warmed his heart a little. This was what Andrew was a part of. 

He went unnoticed for a moment and Buck could have snuck out if he wanted to. But he didn’t want to. Instead, he watched them. They were all in uniform but none of the gear. The woman, dark skinned with a shaved head and glasses stood by the foot of the hospital bed next to an Asian man. The two of them were talking to each other in low tones. The other firefighter was older but he had an easy air about him and an open countenance. He went to stand by Athena and it was Athena that brought attention to Buck. 

“He is the one you should thank. Saved Andrew. But you guys probably already know him, he’s Andrew’s boyfriend.” 

Buck could have facepalmed for not jumping in and fixing it right then and there but in that moment two more people walked into the room. An older hispanic woman followed by an even older hispanic woman. 

“Whose boyfriend?” the younger of the two asked. 

“Well, Andrew’s,” Athena said. “I mean, I’m out of the loop all the time but you all share everything so I figured—”

“No,” the woman firefighter said. “No, he hasn’t said anything.” 

Her companion spoke up. “I think maybe he’s been seeing someone. Eddie would know.” 

They were all looking at him and Buck had no idea what to do or what to say. The older woman was led to a chair by the younger and for a moment they were distracted looking at Andrew but no amount of time could give Buck an out. 

“Well anyway, this is Buck,” Athena said. “This is my husband and your boyfriend’s Captain, Bobby.” 

Bobby shot him a warm smile. 

“That’s Henrietta but we all call her Hen. Chimney is next to her and don’t bother to ask why anyone calls him that,” Athena said with a nod at the other firefighters. 

“I’m Josephina,” the younger hispanic woman said. “This is my mother Isabel. Andrew is my nephew.” 

Buck looked at all of them. “Hello,” he said. “I’m Evan but everyone calls me Buck. It’s nice to meet you all. And I really — I should apologize because—”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Athena said at once. 

“You really don’t. We’re a little pushy and in each other’s business but it’s okay if Andrew felt like keeping you to himself,” Hen said. 

“My grandson can be a bit taciturn,” Isabel said but she smiled at Buck. 

Buck had no idea how he was going to explain it to them. They were all just so nice and so welcoming and Buck still had no idea if Andrew was straight or bi or gay but all of his friends and family seemed to have no problem with it at all which gave Buck no answers. It made him panic a little, though, and he really needed to set things straight. 

“Okay, but I really do need to clear something up—”

Buck had to stop when he realized that Isabel had gone white. “Is something wrong?” she asked. “Pepa, pero tu dijiste que—” 

[“Pepa, but you said that—”]

“Mama, no te preocupes. Todo esta bien. Andrew va a estar bien.”

[“Mom, don’t worry. Everything is okay. Andrew is going to be okay.”]

Buck’s Spanish wasn’t exactly perfect, but he understood what they were saying without much trouble. 

“The nurse didn’t tell me much,” Buck said when they all looked to him. 

“He’ll be okay,” Hen said. 

Isabel let out a breath and she seemed to regain her color and she smiled at him. “Thank you, Buck,” she said and there was a bit of an accent in her voice but not much. “And thank you for being there for him.”

“What happened exactly?” Bobby asked. 

“I — I’m not sure. I was turned away and I heard him scream so I rushed towards him and he was on the ground passed out. Not too far from the sidewalk but kind of out of view so I had to pull him out of the way and I called 9-1-1.” 

“A witness said it was a kid on a bike,” Athena said. “Avoided hitting him head on but Andrew fell. Hit his head.”

In that moment a doctor and the first nurse that Buck had seen walked in. Her eyes narrowed on him when he saw him and Buck knew he was in trouble now. 

“What is he doing in here?” She asked. “He’s not supposed to be here. It’s family only and—”

“And do we look like we’re related to him,” Athena said at once. “We are his family. That includes Buck.”

Olivia came running in, then. “Anyway, he’s his fiance,” she said. “Has every right to be here, Maria. Saved his life and everything.”

Buck felt all of their eyes on him and if he had ever wanted the floor or the universe itself to swallow him whole it was in that moment. 

“Well...we’re not exactly—”

“You’re engaged!” Isabel said at that same moment. 

Hen was covering her mouth and Chimney’s mouth was open in shock. Athena looked a little confused and Bobby almost shared her expression. But it was Isabel that held his attention. 

“I — well not exactly,” he said and he noted how Isabel just lit up. 

“But he wants to ask him,” the ever so helpful nurse threw in. Olivia was going to be the death of him. 

Buck could have face palmed. He was really not getting out of this unscathed. 

“Well that is...I—”

Isabel was looking at him with far too much expectation. 

“We’re not engaged exactly,” Buck said. 

“But you want to be,” Athena said. 

Buck had no idea what made him nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone reading and please let me know what you thought. :)
> 
> I will be trying to be consistent with updating so it shouldn't be too long of a wait between chapters. 
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/614308057812434944/im-with-you-1) on tumblr.


	2. Chapter 2

“You know I’m not really his boyfriend, right?” Buck asked Olivia when he managed to corner her. 

Although Andrew’s co-workers had left soon after they arrived because they were still on the clock, and Athena had gone with them, Andrew’s grandmother and aunt were both still in the room with him. Buck had managed to slip out with the excuse that he was getting something to drink. Instead he went to find Olivia. 

“What do you mean?” she asked. “But you said you were—”

“I didn’t,” Buck said. “I — I mean, I see him every day because he gets coffee at Coffee Time and I’ve noticed him. Of course, I have. But I’ve never really talked to him. Today I heard him yell and I ran to help and things just kinda got away from me and—“

“I am so sorry!” The nurse said. “I can explain. It’s all my fault but I did overhear you and now—“

Buck let out a sigh. “I shouldn’t have come here. And I feel bad. Lying to them. They’re first responders and just nice, you know?”

Buck hung his head. 

“What if...what if you just kept it up?” The nurse asked. “For now, I mean.”

“And when he wakes up?”

Buck had been able to tell with absolute surety that Andrew’s friends and family were good people but one of them was a police officer and she might very well arrest him for all his lying. 

“We...we’ll figure something out.”

His sister Maddie would have told him to come clean, that honesty would get him farther than anything else might. It was just too bad that his sister wasn’t really around to tell him to do the right thing. Buck hadn’t heard from her in years. It was when he found himself in troublesome spots that he thought of her because Maddie was the one that was good at dealing with tough situations and it made Buck wish that he could call her and hear her voice. She never answered when he called, though, and so Buck had long given up on it. 

He doubled back to the room Andrew had been put in just in time to see the doctor checking him over. Pepa was still there with Isabel and they both waved him in. Buck noticed immediately that the doctor didn’t look happy. 

“What — is he okay?” Buck asked. 

The doctor didn’t answer. 

“Oh, perfect. You didn’t leave,” Pepa said. “We wanted to invite you to dinner tomorrow night. At Bobby and Athena’s. Since Andrew’s kept you from us we figure it’s high time we get to know you.”

Buck froze. Coming up with an excuse felt like the right thing to do but his mind went blank. He had no plans. If he were honest, he hadn’t had plans with anyone in a long time. It kind of came with the territory of having a job that required him to be up at 5am in the morning and also not having any real friends. Or family, for that matter. 

“We want you there,” Isabel jumped in. “And if you say no we’ll keep asking.” 

“I—”

They were both looking at him with such eagerness that Buck nodded. Isabel clapped her hands together and Pepa grinned at him and then immediately asked for his phone number. Buck rattled it off without thinking and a moment later he had a text with an address. 

The doctor was still checking over Andrew and Buck didn’t like the way that he was still frowning and glancing at Andrew’s chart. 

“I something wrong?” Buck asked. 

“What?” Isabel asked. “Pepa, que esta pasando?” 

[“Pepa, what is happening?”]

“It seems the initial tests were inconclusive,” the doctor said. “I want to do a few more tests, but I think Andrew might be in a coma.”

Isabel gasped and clutched at her chest. Pepa’s hand was on her mother’s shoulder and she too looked tense. 

“What does that mean?” Buck asked. “Will he be okay?” 

“The coma is likely in response to his head injury. The body is repairing itself,” the doctor said but Buck noted how he didn’t say one way or the other that Andrew would be alright. 

“So, he’ll be okay,” Isabel said. 

“I will have someone monitor him and take him up for a few more tests. We’ll know more then,” the doctor said. 

When Buck looked at Andrew again, he was hit with a wave of sadness. He may not really be Buck’s boyfriend, but Buck still had feelings for him. He felt for that man and he wanted him to be okay. He needed him to wake up. 

“He’s going to be fine,” Pepa said and Buck hadn’t even heard her move or come around to him until her hand was on his back. “Andrew’s always been strong and hardheaded. He’ll be fine.”

Buck nodded. 

They sat in silence for a while after that and Buck felt the guilt again. He needed to tell them the truth. It didn’t seem like a good time seeing as Isabel looked paler than before. Pepa seemed to have noticed that her mom wasn’t doing all that well because they had a quick conversation in Spanish just as a couple of doctors entered the room. 

“Hello,” one of them said. “We’re here to take Mr. Diaz up for a few tests.” 

After the doctors rolled him away, Pepa stood up. “Buck, I have to take her home. This is a lot for her.”

“Of course,” Buck said. 

Pepa smiled at him. “Are you — will you stick around?” 

“Stick around?” Buck asked. 

“Here,” Pepa said. “I don’t want Andrew here on his own. Since you’re here I feel more comfortable leaving him.”

Buck couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t shocked about the confidence and trust that they were already handing him. And here he was lying to them and making them believe something that wasn’t true at all. He felt like such an asshole. 

“I can. Yes. I can hang out,” Buck said. It was really the least that he could do and if he were honest with himself he had nowhere else to be and no one else to be with. 

“Oh good,” Isabel said. “That’s a relief. This was just — it was unexpected and Andrew’s parents are in Texas which...obviously you know that already.”

Buck just nodded. “I’ll stay. Keep him company.”

“Good, good. And text me or call if anything happens when the doctors bring him back. You have my number now.” 

Pepa hugged Buck, pressing a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you so much, Buck. I’m happy he found you.”

Buck knew that he was blushing and then Isabel was hugging him. “Sweet boy,” she said. “Gracias.” 

[“Thank you.”]

They were both almost out the door when Pepa turned back to look at Buck. “Oh, and don’t forget about the dinner. You don’t have to bring anything. Just yourself. We all just want to get to know you better.” 

They were nice decent people. They were kind and welcoming and apparently had not even a bit of a problem with their grandson/nephew possibly being interested in men. Andrew was lucky to have family like that and not just family but this group of friends that showed up at his bedside at the hospital and that cared enough to want to know his significant other. And selfish as it was, Buck wanted to have just a taste of it before everything went to shit and these people never wanted to see him again. 

“I — I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “Thank you for inviting me.” 

Both Isabel and Pepa smiled at him before they left. 

Buck left the hospital in search of coffee after a few minutes. He ran into Olivia again and she gave him a smile and wave as if she wasn’t at least partially responsible for the mess that he was in. He took a walk around the hospital before he got back to Andrew’s room. Andrew still wasn’t back so Buck busied himself on his phone for a while until eventually he was rolled back into the room. 

“How is he?” Buck asked, jumping to his feet. 

“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. His head injury is causing a coma but it’s a minor bleed that should clear out on it’s own. Andrew is breathing on his own and his vitals are good. He’ll wake on his own sometime in the next few days. It’s just a matter of waiting.” 

“Okay,” Buck said. “Thank you.” 

He texted the information to Pepa. 

Andrew looked peaceful on the hospital bed. Maybe a bit pale but still so nice to look at. 

“I wish I’d taken the chance to speak to you,” Buck said. “This could be very different. I could have just been your friend.”

Andrew was so completely still on the bed. It was easier to talk to him that way, to just explain everything that had happened and to apologize.

“And the worst part is that I don’t really know you,” Buck said, “so I don’t even know how you’ll react when you hear about this or if you’ll even know who I am. This is just such a big giant mess.” 

Buck grabbed his phone and he scrolled through social media. Now that he knew Andrew’s name, he looked him up. His Instagram was miraculously not set to private so Buck took a quick look. There were a few selfies, a picture of a firetruck, one of the coffee cup from Coffee Time and a random one of the sunset. Not a whole lot to go on. It told Buck everything that he already knew about him. 

“And here’s the thing. I’m lonely. I’m so lonely that it’s easier to make up some story in my head about what it might have been like to actually talk to someone like you. Have you ever felt like that, like everyone else around you has someone and you’re just this single lonely person? From the look of your friends and family, I doubt that. And I hope you realize how lucky you are to have them and to do what you do because I’m sure you love your job. And I wish I had that — that I was passionate about something enough.” 

The doctor returned to check up on Andrew after a while and Buck hung back while he did, not sure what to make of it all until the doctor turned to look at Buck. 

“You’re the boyfriend,” he said. 

“Yes,” Buck said. “Is — is something wrong?” 

“Just checking him over again. Everything looks fine, really.”

“Other than the coma,” Buck said. 

The doctor gave a short nod. Buck watched the doctor write something in Andrew’s chart and then he left after giving Buck a nod and Buck turned back to look at Andrew. 

“You know, you better wake up. You have to. I don’t know what I’ll do if you don’t. I would have to keep the lie going or I would need to tell them and — well, once you wake up I’ll have to tell them. Tell you.”

Andrew was as still as ever. Olivia stopped by after a while. 

“How are you doing?” 

“Okay,” Buck said. “I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m okay. And it’s going to blow up on my face and that’s okay too.” 

Buck stayed for a bit longer even after Olivia left him. It was when he felt that he was starting to nod off that he got up and gathered his things. Buck was sort of surprised that no one had tried to send him away considering visiting hours were surely over. It was probably the work of Olivia. 

It was getting dark out when he got back to his car and drove home. He should have been home hours earlier and yet somehow he’d managed to get himself involved in something ridiculous. His very best hope was that a few years down the line he could look back at the situation and laugh. And maybe if he was really lucky, Buck didn’t come out of it hurt or possibly arrested. 

Buck picked up Chinese on his way home and like every day, he took the stairs up to his apartment even though there was an elevator available and then he opened his door and he stepped into the dark and lonely space. 

Ali had been the one to help him pick out the apartment. The realtor had been convinced that they were a couple the entire time which had been at least amusing during the tours of apartment after apartment after apartment until they settled on the last one they viewed. 

It was the open space that sold it for Buck and having his bedroom up in a loft was cool too. Plus, he had a balcony. It wasn’t huge, but it was just him and Buck loved it. He loved that it was his place and that he felt at home there even if sometimes he did feel lonely. Ali often suggested that he get a pet but Buck wasn’t really into cats and a dog would make him feel guilty for not being around all the time. 

Andrew in comparison probably didn’t feel lonely. He had all that family and friends and from what he could tell they were very close. Buck could admit that it did make him a bit jealous. 

Family was a bit of a sore subject with him. A sister that never reached out or responded to him and parents that were so far removed, Buck didn’t think he’d heard from them more than once when he left home. Sometimes he wondered about what might happen if he called them or went back to Pennsylvania to visit and yet he just never wanted to. His parents had always been the distant types that shouldn’t have had kids. They weren’t bad people...they just weren’t parental. Maddie had played a huge part in raising him and then after she left, Buck had pretty much just been on his own. And then he left too and his parents barely even blinked.

Buck ate on his couch in front of his tv, lazing there for a while until he forced himself to clean up his food and head to bed. Having to go into work at 5am made it so that Buck was never in bed later than 10pm. Even on his days off, Buck was an early riser. 

His bedroom was up the stairs and Buck dragged his feet as he walked up, stumbling into his bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth before he got undressed down to his underwear and just climbed into his bed. He sighed as his head hit the pillow and he didn’t let himself think about how the next day might go. 

Buck didn’t even think about Andrew or his family and friends the next morning until he walked past the spot out on the street where he found Andrew at which point he had to stop. That was where Ali found him. 

“Hey. You okay?” 

“Kind of,” Buck said. “Things got a little strange yesterday.”

As they got the Coffee Time ready to open, Buck filled her in on everything that happened after he left work the day before. 

“And she just looked so happy at the prospect of her grandson getting married,” Buck said. “But also she’s older and I didn’t know how she was going to handle it if I just told them it was all a lie.”

Ali was in the middle of refilling the coffee in one of the machines but she paused to look at him. “Buck, eventually the truth will come out. Probably better sooner than later.”

“I know,” Buck said with a groan. 

The morning went quick, even the downtime and he and Ali got to just hang out for a while, cleaning and restocking things for the lunch rush. He got a text from Pepa asking if he was going to stop by the hospital and to once again extend the invitation to dinner. Buck left it unanswered for a while, but then it felt rude not to answer. 

“Who are you texting?” Ali asked.

“Andrew’s aunt,” Buck said. 

Ali just shook her head at him. “Buck, you are so far in this that I’m already having second hand embarrassment about how this will all end up.”

He went straight to the hospital after work despite the judging look that Ali gave him when he told her where he was going. At the very least, Buck knew that he would have Ali in his corner in the end. Just like he always did. 

Buck found Chimney in the hospital room when he arrived.

“Hi,” Buck said. “Didn’t know anyone would be here.”

“Sorta expected you to be here, kid,” Chimney said. 

“I was — I had work. But I came straight here.”

Chimney nodded. 

It was surprisingly not awkward to talk to someone that was basically a stranger.

“Oh. Where do you work?” 

“Coffee Time,” Buck said. 

Chimney perked up at that and pointed at him. “Oh, oh, is that how you met? He does go there practically every day.” 

“Uh,” Buck said and then he nodded. “Yeah.” 

Chimney chuckled. “The keeper of the coffee and the coffee addict. I guess that makes sense.”

Buck shrugged his shoulders. 

“Speaking of, coffee sounds good right about now. Want one?” 

“Sure,” Buck said and he watched as Chimney got up and left the room and then he was alone with Andrew again. 

He looked just like the last time that Buck saw him and still just as attractive. It wasn’t fair how attractive he was. Not fair at all. Without thinking, Buck reached over and touched his cheek in a gentle caress. His skin was soft and smooth too. 

“You’ve been way too much trouble for me,” Buck whispered. “And Ali was right the entire time. Should have just done more than handed you your coffee.”

Andrew was so still. It felt like he was talking to no one. 

“And your family is kind of wonderful. I haven’t even known them long, but they are. I just feel so horrible. I’m sitting here lying to all of them. Damn, I’m the biggest coward. And I’ll have to tell them eventually and I just don’t want any of them to hate me or for you to hate me. It wasn’t even really my fault.” Buck sat back in the chair and he groaned. “I just — I have Ali and that’s it. My sister Maddie is non-existent and I don’t even know why. My parents aren’t — I haven’t spoken to them in ages and it’s fine. This is my life, you know, but it doesn’t make me less lonely. But lying isn’t...I can’t keep this up.” 

Maybe he just needed to man up and tell them. He could do it at the dinner, he could admit to the whole thing and just hope for the best or at least be done with all of it because there was a man in a hospital bed that deserved none of this and his family didn’t deserve it either. 

“I’ll come clean,” Buck said. “Tonight. I’ll tell them the whole thing about how Olivia misunderstood and then how she just blurted out that I was going to ask you to marry me even though we’re not even dating or even know each other. I will. I can do that.” 

Buck nodded to himself. He would do it. 

That’s when he heard a cough behind him. Chimney.

“Uh, so you’re not Andrew’s boyfriend, then?” 

Buck’s eyes fell closed as if that would get rid of Chimney standing off to the side holding two cups of coffee. He’d overheard everything. 

“I—”

“Let me get this straight,” Chimney said, cutting him off. “You’ve been lying this entire time. Well, it’s been what, a day?” 

Buck let his eyes open and he looked at Chimney. “I’m sorry,” he said. “And I’ll — I’ll go. I shouldn’t even be in here and—”

Chimney set down the coffee cups and he settled down in the chair at the other side of Andrew’s bed. “No, kid, don’t go. Explain it to me because from what I heard just now you didn’t do this maliciously.”

So, Buck did. He told him about the crush and about how seeing Andrew was a highlight of his day. How Buck had been minding his own business and heading home when he heard Andrew yell out. He’d done only what anyone else might have done. And then he’d been worried so he went to the hospital even though he should have known he wouldn’t be able to actually see him. 

“But I’m an idiot and I need to stop talking out loud. That nurse Olivia, she made some assumptions and I didn’t correct her and then I was in here and then everyone was here and I tried to say something but I couldn’t. Now, here we are.” 

“Here we are,” Chimney said and followed it with a whistle. “And I thought I was bad at the whole dating thing. You know, we did wonder, because Andrew as far as we knew was as straight as an arrow. But we don’t judge and Hen always says that sexuality is a fluid thing but he’s always had girlfriends.”

“Of course he’s straight,” Buck said because even there he couldn’t win.

Chimney chuckled and then he reached for his coffee cup and he motioned for Buck to grab the other. 

“Look, lying isn’t exactly the best thing you could have done. But it seems to me like things just got out of hand here and I know it was probably overwhelming when we all arrived yesterday. You should still come to dinner at Bobby and Athena’s and I would advise you to tell them all the truth.”

“I will,” Buck said. “You’re not angry?” 

Chimney shrugged. “I mean, I’m not thrilled. But I heard you, and from what I can tell you’re lonely. Alone. I know what that’s like. And I also know what it’s like to find somewhere to belong.”

“But I haven’t,” Buck pointed out. “This is all a lie, isn’t it? And the moment I come clean than that’s it. I don’t belong here. I’m not anything to him or any of you.” 

Chim didn’t respond to that and Buck figured that he probably had no idea how to respond. 

It made him feel worse to have Chimney react the way that he was as if he understood Buck’s actions and didn’t judge him for it. He was definitely a bit amused, but he also didn’t seem too upset over it. 

“Anyway,” Chimney said eventually, “I’m going to head out. I’ll see you tonight. And don’t worry too much.” 

Buck had no idea how he was expected to not worry. 

“Oh, and hey,” Chimney said, “give me your number.”

They exchanged numbers and in mere seconds, Chimney had texted him.

Hi, Liar

Buck just rolled his eyes and Chimney laughed. 

It was a bit boring to hang out at someone’s bedside. Once Chimney left, patting Buck on the shoulder before he did and still laughing. Being with Andrew made him feel a little less lonely. 

“I know you don’t know me,” Buck said. “I hardly know you too. I just know that you’re a firefighter and that you hold the door open for people when you come into the coffee shop even when you’re in a rush. I know that you have good people around you. Friends and family. And I know that you could probably have anyone you wanted because you look — well, like that. And I’m pathetic for hanging out here and for just thinking for even a moment that I could have a chance with you. I just wanted to say I’m sorry even though you’re not even really here to deal with any of this.”

He didn’t speak again for a while, but he kept his eyes on Andrew until his phone vibrated with incoming texts. It was Ali asking him if he’d come clean yet. But he would. He would do it and he would go home and then call Ali and tell her all about it. He probably would never see any of them again. Not even Andrew. Buck wouldn’t blame them. 

When the doctors and a few nurses arrived to check on Andrew, Buck figured it was time to go. He was glad that he hadn’t run into Olivia again, but as he was walking past the reception desk someone called his name. 

“Hi, you’re Mr. Diaz’ boyfriend, right?” 

He almost said no, but then he nodded. 

“We have his belongings for you,” the man behind the desk said and then he came out with a sealed clear bag. “Everything that was on him.” 

“Oh. Thanks,” Buck said. “But maybe it’s best if you pass it on to his aunt.” 

“She told us to hold onto it for you.” 

“Oh,” Buck said. 

Buck took the bag when it was offered to him. He would just hand it over to them at dinner after he told them that he’d lied. It was a clear bag so he could see what was inside. A wallet, a phone, a bit of change, key, a swiss army knife, and a dog collar with what appeared to be a newly printed name tag that read: Legolas. It sounded like a familiar name but Buck couldn’t place why. Mostly, he was left wondering where the dog that the collar belonged to was. 

It felt strange to get home with the intent of leaving his house to go somewhere. It made Buck realize that he’d been perhaps isolating himself too much. While Ali may have been his only real friend, the two of them rarely hung out outside of work these days. Buck had made excuses the last time she wanted to go out to club with him. 

He showered and changed his clothes and was in the middle of getting his shoes on when a text from Pepa came in making sure that he was still coming. His stomach churned. He really didn’t know how things were going to go. For all that Chimney reacted well and expected the rest of them to understand, Buck couldn’t make himself expect any of their reactions to be the same. He had lied to them and kept the lie going and that just wasn’t okay. 

Buck stopped at a liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine and then he went into the store next to it because he figured he should bring something more than just alcohol. He settled for mini cupcakes. The drive over to Bobby and Athena’s house felt short and long all at once and then when he was parked outside their house, the nerves hit. He really didn’t know any of these people. If he had somehow actually been Andrew’s boyfriend, he wondered if things would have been any easier. Buck was still trying to get himself together when someone knocked on his window, making him jump. 

It was Hen. Another woman stood just behind her with an adorable little boy at her side. Buck rolled down the window.

“Hey,” he said. 

“So, you getting out of that car any time soon?” Hen asked with a grin. 

Buck nodded. “I was.” 

“Hen, leave the poor boy alone. He’s going through a lot right now.” 

Buck shook his head. He grabbed the wine bottle and the cupcakes, rolling the window back up and then turning off the ignition. When he got out of the car, Hen stepped back. 

“I’m Karen, by the way,” the woman standing behind Hen said. “Hen’s wife. This is our son Denny.” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Buck said, extending his hand out to Karen who seemed more than lovely. Denny looked at Buck with some interest, but even Buck could tell that the kid was a little on the shy side. 

“Anyway, come on, they’re probably all waiting,” Hen said. 

Buck followed them towards the house. Hen didn’t even knock, she just let herself in. Buck took in a breath before he stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. Karen was waiting for him, but Hen had gone right down the steps and was already being greeted by Athena. 

“They can be a lot,” Karen said, “but they’re all good people and we love Andrew. So anyone that he dates and saves his life is more than welcome here. Come on.” 

Buck looked around. He spotted Chimney right away and got a nod and smile from him. Athena was talking with Hen and Buck spotted Bobby in the kitchen. Denny was already sitting at the coffee table with two other boys and there was a teenage girl sitting in an armchair near them. Pepa and Isabel were sat near her with another man that Buck didn’t know and when Pepa spotted him she stood up at once. Isabel looked in his direction as well, smiling wide. 

“Buck, you made it,” Isabel said. 

Buck smiled back. “I did. Um, thank you for inviting me.” 

Pepa made it to his side, pulling him into a hug just as the man that was sitting with Isabel turned in Buck’s direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Chimney knows.  
> I had a hard time figuring out who would know first but Chimney felt like the right choice in the end.  
> And we'll finally have Eddie in the next chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. :)
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/614767747619028992/im-with-you-2) on tumblr.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated the fic summary since I wasn't too happy with what I had originally. 
> 
> We finally have some Eddie in this chapter.  
> Enjoy. :)

When Eddie first heard that his brother was in the hospital, he thought it was something to do with a call gone wrong. They were firefighters, ending up at the hospital as a job hazard and everyone knew that Andrew was a bit reckless. What he didn’t expect was for some weird accident while he was picking up coffee to be the reason. 

“But he’s going to be fine, Eddie,” Bobby told him. “The doctors all say he will wake up soon.” 

Looking at Andrew on the bed, his skin paler than normal and a cannula in his nose, an IV line connecting him to fluids, and a rather large bump on the back of his head, it made Eddie want to punch something. 

It was later when he’d stopped by his abuela’s house that he got other details of what happened when she started telling him about the lovely young man that had saved Andrew’s life which would have been fine until Pepa chimed in to tell Eddie that the guy was also Andrew’s boyfriend. 

“Uh, no. No, that can’t be.” 

“No, Eddie, es verdad,” abuela said. “El estaba ahí cuando fuimos a verlo.”

[“No, Eddie, it’s true,” abuela said. “He was there when we went to see him.”]

Eddie just didn’t buy it. Andrew was straight. He was as straight as Eddie was not and so there was no way that Andrew had a boyfriend. Andrew did not like men in any romantic or sexual capacity — that was Eddie’s purview.

“Maybe this reaction is why he kept him from us, Eddie,” Pepa said when Eddie expressed that. 

Or he was some sort of scam artist. Maybe even responsible for Andrew being in the hospital in the first place. It made Eddie just a little annoyed that it had all happened on the one day that Eddie was off work because everyone else seemed to believe the whole boyfriend story. Even Bobby. But Eddie hadn’t been there to see the guy and find out for himself if he was somehow telling the truth or just bullshitting all of them. 

The next morning, he went into the hospital with Pepa and abuela. The boyfriend wasn’t there and they didn’t see him at all the entire time that they were there. That felt suspicious to Eddie as well. 

“And if he’s his boyfriend, then where even is he?” Eddie asked eventually. “Shouldn’t he be here?” 

“You’ll meet him soon enough, Eddie. And then you can stop being so damn suspicious,” Pepa had said, pinching his arm for good measure. “He’s coming over for dinner at Bobby and Athena’s tonight. And don’t agitate your abuela.”

“I’m not—”

But maybe he was, after all she was probably already stressed out about Andrew being in the hospital and Eddie really couldn’t be adding on to that. His abuela was getting older and she wasn’t exactly in perfect health. So, he kept his suspicions to himself and listened to the doctor when he filled them in on what was going on with Andrew. His coma and their optimistic expectations that Andrew would wake up with all his capacities when he did. When Bobby and Athena stopped by he tried to ask them about Buck — and who the hell was named Buck? — but they both seemed just as taken with the guy. 

When he spoke to Hen and Chim about it, neither seemed to find anything suspicious. 

“Sexuality is fluid, Eddie. The two of us know that, don’t we? Maybe that reaction is what’s kept him from telling us about Buck this whole time,” Hen said. “People can figure out things about themselves at any point in their lives.” 

Eddie let it drop. The thing about it was that nobody knew Andrew as well as Eddie did. Andrew was his little brother and Eddie knew the ins and outs of the way his brother thought and the things that made him who he was and Eddie knew that Andrew was straight. 

“And he did save him,” Chim added. “I talked to the 115, they were the ones on the scene and Buck literally pulled Andrew out of oncoming traffic and he did everything he could to make sure that he’d be okay. If nothing else, we have to be thankful for that.” 

But when he asked any of them for more information on the guy no one had any idea. Athena hadn’t even bothered to run a background check. All they seemed to know was his name. Evan Buckley. He liked to be called Buck. No one even knew what he did for a living. 

What Eddie failed to expect was for Buck to be so gorgeous. He was handsome and cute rolled into one. His eyes were blue and expressive and Eddie was a sucker for blue eyes and this guy had the prettiest eyes. And then Buck was smiling at his aunt and when he smiled he looked even more beautiful. On his left eyebrow there was something that looked like a scar, but it only served to make him more interesting. More alluring. 

After Buck finished hugging Pepa, she led him towards abuela and he bestowed another brilliant smile her way before he bent down and kissed her cheek and abuela just pet Buck’s cheek and said something that made him grin even more before he laughed. His laugh was even captivating because it was genuine. 

“Hey, man,” Chimney said. “Glad you made it.” 

Buck nodded at him and then Pepa led him away towards the kitchen and it gave Eddie the time to compose himself because it wasn’t fair that that guy was Andrew’s boyfriend. And Eddie was maybe more wont to believe that Andrew was at least bi-curious after seeing the man that may have led to the curiosity. It didn’t make it fair that his brother could have managed to get someone like that to go out with him. 

“Eddie, estas bien?” 

[“Eddie, are you okay?”]

“Si. Si, abuela. Solo...no pensé que el novio de Andrew y va ser—”

[“Yes. Yes, abuela. It’s just...I didn’t think that Andrew’s boyfriend was going to be—”]

“So handsome?” abuela asked. “And he is, isn’t he?” 

Eddie coughed. “Abuela!” 

She just laughed. “Oh, calm down, Eddito. I’m just having a bit of fun. You know, it did surprise all of us.”

“I know,” Eddie said and he was sure that abuela was thinking about the big conversation that Eddie had had with his family when he realized he was bisexual and wanted to tell them. 

He’d made such a big deal of it back then and as worried as he’d been about negative reactions, Eddie had expected at least his brother to remain at his side. Instead, the whole family had been accepting and understanding even if the word bisexuality was a bit foreign for some of them. 

“And, you know, it’s probably about time that you start looking for someone new,” abuela said. “Like your brother did.”

Eddie heard that from her every once in a while and he knew it was because she meant well. She’d nagged Andrew about it plenty too but now he was clearly winning since he had a boyfriend. One that abuela liked too. 

Buck was in the kitchen talking to Bobby. Athena had gone over to join them at some point and apparently Buck already had them under his charm going by the way that they were smiling and laughing. He seemed to just fit in. 

“Daddy,” Christopher said and Eddie’s attention shot to his son. 

Christopher was pretty much Eddie’s reason to live. He was his entire world in the form of one tiny human person. 

“Yeah?” 

“I’m thirsty.” 

Christopher had been busy coloring with Harry pretty much from the moment they arrived at the Grant-Nash house. They were making “Get Well” cards for Andrew. It was a nice sentiment seeing as no one knew for sure when Andrew would be waking up. The doctors were just positive that he would. 

“Okay, buddy. I’ll get you some juice,” Eddie said and he ruffled Christopher’s curls. 

Christopher didn’t even fight him on it. 

“You boys want anything?” Eddie asked Harry and Denny. 

They both shook their heads. 

Eddie didn’t even think about how Buck was in the kitchen when he headed that way until he was a few feet away from him. But Eddie figured that he would need to meet him eventually. After all this was Andrew’s boyfriend and apparently his possible future fiance. 

“Oh, Eddie,” Athena said. “I don’t think you’ve met Buck yet. Or have you?”

Eddie hadn’t even made it to the fridge. 

“I haven’t,” Eddie said. 

Buck turned his attention on him, his eyes were so blue and his lips were quirked up into a smile as he extended a hand towards Eddie. Buck had a strong handshake, his hands were big and strong but the hand fell away a few seconds later. 

“Well, I’m Buck,” Buck said. “And from the resemblance, I take it you’re related to Andrew.”

“I’m his brother,” Eddie said. “I guess I should be thanking you for saving his life.” 

Buck’s cheeks tinged pink. It was interesting, the way that he seemed to get a bit bashful. His face turned down and he looked up at Eddie through his eyelashes. 

“Anyone would have—”

“No, they wouldn’t have,” Eddie said.

Athena nodded in agreement just as Eddie heard the clinks of his son’s crutches and then Christopher was at his side, an arm wrapped around Eddie’s legs. 

“Daddy, where’s my juice?” 

“Oh. I’m so sorry, kiddo. I’ll get that for you right now.” 

He walked over to the fridge and left Christopher. It was when he turned back around that he found Buck crouched down to Christopher’s level and Christopher was giggling a bit and although Eddie couldn’t see him, he was sure that Buck was smiling. 

“Here you are, bud,” Eddie said, returning with a juice box in hand 

“Thank you,” Christopher said. “See you later, Buck” Christopher then turned away and walked back to where the other kids were. 

“You have an adorable son,” Buck said. “I, um, I love kids.”

Of course he did. But Andrew didn’t. Andrew hated kids. He barely tolerated Christopher, Denny, and Harry. Everyone knew better than to ask Andrew to babysit, he was a last resort and even then you had to be desperate. Andrew was just not the kid person. He wasn’t even a pet person. 

“I love that one,” Eddie said and it sounded lame to him even after he said it. 

“Yes. I imagine so,” Buck said with a grin and then he turned towards Bobby. “Everything smells delicious.” 

“Just wait until you try it,” Athena said. “My husband is an amazing cook.” 

“Well, is there anything I can do to help?” Buck asked. 

Athena shook her head and she wrapped a hand on Buck’s bicep. “No. No. You should come sit. We can have a chat and really get to know each other. We’ve been dying to find out more about you.” 

Eddie watched as Buck was led away before he turned to Bobby. “So, what do you think of him?” 

“I think he’s a good kid. Why? Do you not like him?”

It wasn’t that Eddie didn’t like him. That wasn’t the problem at all. “No,” Eddie said. “I just...I wonder if he’s too good to be true. None of us have heard of him and Andrew’s never dated men before. I just wonder if there isn’t anything more to him.” 

“So, he’s too likable,” Bobby said with a chuckle. 

Eddie shrugged. There was just — something about the whole thing didn’t add up. Eddie couldn’t help it that he was suspicious. 

—-

Buck wasn’t going to tell them. It was just too hard. They were all just too nice and everyone seemed to be having a good time in spite of Andrew being in the hospital still and Buck just couldn’t rain on the happiness. He couldn’t be the person that ruined the night for everyone. Isabel seemed to be doing okay and when Pepa took him over to Bobby in the kitchen, Buck had felt himself relax a little because Bobby had this welcoming energy that made it easier to be there. 

“How are you doing?” Bobby asked. 

“Good. Good. Just—”

“Overwhelmed,” Bobby said. “I know it’s a lot of us. The firehouse is like a family.”

Buck glanced back and he could see it. They were exactly like a family. “It’s nice,” he said. “I, um, I don’t really have much family. So this is...it’s not something I’m used to.” 

“Well, I think you’re part of this now, Buck,” Athena said, smiling at him. Gone was the intimidating police officer that he’d met at the hospital. Maybe it was to do with the lack of uniform, or more that she was looking at him without any suspicion and warmth. 

“You are,” Pepa said. 

He wasn’t though. He had no right to them or to the way that they were including him. Pepa smiled at him once more and then excused herself, leaving him with Athena and Bobby. 

“So, what do you do, Buck?” Athena asked. 

“I’m a barista,” Buck said. 

“Coffee Time,” Bobby said. 

Buck nodded. “It’s just for now. While I try and figure out what I want to do with myself.” 

He always said that because he knew how it sounded to be just a barista at a coffee shop. It was also true. Buck wanted more than just that for himself, it was just that he didn’t know what more meant. He’d been sort of stuck on that for a while too. 

“Oh, Eddie,” Athena said. 

Buck’s attention switched from Bobby to Athena and the man that had entered the kitchen. Eddie. 

“I don’t think you’ve met Buck yet. Or have you?” Athena asked. 

“I haven’t,” Eddie said. 

He was attractive. There was a resemblance to Andrew there, Buck could tell, but he was also something else entirely. He had this strong jaw line and it was currently covered in scruff. His hair was swept back but it looked soft and fluffy. His eyes were a beautiful brown and they were boring into Buck as if they were seeing right through him. 

Buck extended his hand out to him. “Well, I’m Buck,” Buck said. “And from the resemblance, I take it you’re related to Andrew.”

“I’m his brother. I guess I should be thanking you for saving his life.” 

Saving his life, lying about being his boyfriend, keeping up the lie and being a coward about telling the truth. Yes, he really did deserve all the thanks. He ducked his head, unable to meet Eddie’s eyes but then he had to look back up at him. 

“Anyone would have—”

“No, they wouldn’t have,” Eddie said, cutting him off. There was a shortness to the way that Eddie spoke but it was masked with a strange politeness. Buck had no idea what to make of it. 

Buck saw Athena nod and then just behind Eddie one of the kids came, using forearm crutches and going as fast as he could to reach Eddie and wrap an arm around Eddie’s legs. He was a cute kid and his voice was soft and just a little raspy. Atop his head was a mess of curls and he had glasses strapped to his face. 

“Daddy, where’s my juice?” 

“Oh. I’m so sorry, kiddo. I’ll get that for you right now,” Eddie said. 

He turned away, leaving the boy behind and Buck...well, he loved kids and this one was adorable and staring at him now that he had a clear sight of Buck. 

“Who are you?” the boy asked. 

Buck raised an eyebrow and then he bent down to his level. “Hi. I’m Buck. And you are?” 

“Christopher,” the boy said. 

“That’s a good name,” Buck said. 

“Buck’s a silly name,” Christopher said, so completely candid and childlike that Buck couldn’t help but laugh. 

“It’s a nickname,” Buck explained. 

“Oh,” Christopher said and he looked like he was thinking. “Kinda like when tio calls my daddy idiota?” 

Buck couldn’t help but laugh and Christopher giggled with him and Buck was pretty much sure that Christopher knew exactly what ‘idiota’ meant so that made him not only cute but smart too and funny. 

“Not quite,” Buck said but he couldn’t stop smiling. 

Christopher just giggled some more. “I’m not supposed to call him that,” he whispered to Buck. 

“I won’t tell,” Buck said and winked for the proper effect. 

“Here you are, bud,” Eddie said, holding out the juice box to Christopher. 

Buck stood up. 

“Thank you,” Christopher said as he took it. He walked away without saying anything else. 

“You have an adorable son,” Buck said. “I, um, I love kids.”

“I love that one,” Eddie said. 

“Yes. I imagine so,” Buck said with a grin. He couldn’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t love Christopher. 

After being pulled away from the kitchen by Athena, Buck got to meet Athena’s kids. There was May who was just short of turning 18. She was nice and friendly and reminded Buck of her mom. Harry, her younger brother said hello before turning back to coloring something with Christopher and Denny. Athena then introduced him to Michael, her ex-husband and it was a little odd for Buck to see how well they got on. 

It was as they were walking away that Athena explained. “He, uh, he’s gay. Was lying to himself about it and I guess to me for a long time but he’s still one of my best friends and the father of my children.” 

And that was why none of these people had probably even blinked at the possibility that Andrew was interested in men when he hadn’t been before. 

“It wasn’t always easy,” Athena said. “But things are better now.”

They wound up sitting by Hen and Karen.

“So tell us about yourself, Buck? We really know nothing about you,” Hen said. 

“And maybe he’s not here to be questioned by everyone,” Karen said and she nudged Hen.

“No, it’s, uh, it’s okay,” Buck said. “What do you...what do you want to know?” 

He was opening up a can of worms. He was being so stupid at the moment, thinking that he could just keep pretending and keep taking their kindness and the way that they were being so welcoming. It would blow up in his face, he knew, but somehow he still wanted to just enjoy what he could get. 

“I’m a barista,” Buck said. “I was a bartender before that and so many other things. I still don’t really know what I want to do.”

“I was just like you,” Hen said, “before I figured out that what I wanted was to help people. So I became a paramedic and a firefighter. Before that I didn’t really feel like myself, I guess.”

“That’s sort of what I need,” Buck admitted. “Maybe I’ll figure it out one day.”

Hen smiled at him. “You will.” 

“And how did you and Andrew meet?” Karen asked.

“So much for not questioning him,” Hen muttered.

Buck smiled at them. “Uh, he came into my job and I mean you’ve all seen him. Hard not to want to get to know someone like that.”

Except that he was a coward and he’d never once made the attempt to actually speak to Andrew. Things might have been different if he did. Or maybe they wouldn’t have been but either way, Buck might have been better equipped to talk about Andrew as if he knew him. 

“So we talked a few times and hung out and here we are,” Buck said. 

“And he never once mentioned you to us,” Hen said. 

“I — I don’t know why he didn’t,” Buck said. 

Somehow the conversation fell off of him, then, and Hen started telling them about one of the 9-1-1 calls they had responded to recently. Buck listened enraptured in the story. He could feel the adrenaline in Hen’s words as she talked about the fire and when Chim joined them and brought in his part of it, it really made the story even that more vivid. 

“And in the end, no casualties,” Chimney said. “Just a bit of smoke inhalation.”

When dinner was ready, Buck helped Athena with the table. It expanded to fit more people and Athena had him help with getting the table ready. The kids — including May — stayed in the living room eating at the coffee table as everyone else moved over to the table. Somehow, Buck wound up sitting next to Eddie and across from Pepa and Isabel. Chim was on his other side and he’d wiggled his eyebrows at Buck when he sat down as if asking if Buck was going to tell the truth. But he just couldn’t. He just hoped that Chimney wouldn’t judge him too hard over it. Instead, he just joined in on whatever they were discussing. 

He learned that Chimney had once been in an accident on the freeway that involved rebarb going through his head and that he’d somehow survived it and come out of it just fine. 

“One month recovery time,” Chimney said. 

“Yes, he likes to brag about that,” Eddie said with a chuckle.

Eddie didn’t say much. He either nodded in agreement or added a thought here or there, but mostly he listened. Buck couldn’t tell if that was because he was distracted by making sure his son was okay or because he was just a quiet person.

“Well, I just gotta say this food is amazing, Bobby,” Buck said halfway through dinner. 

Bobby had made spaghetti with meatballs and Buck could tell that Bobby had even made the sauce. 

“Thank you,” Bobby said. 

“First homemade meal I’ve had in a while,” Buck said. “I’m hopeless in the kitchen.” 

The others chuckled at that. 

“Good thing you have Andrew, then,” Eddie said. 

“Uh, yeah. I guess I am,” Buck said and because it had been implied. “He’s good in the kitchen. One of us has to be.” 

Chimney gave him a subtle shake of the head which was how Buck knew he’d put his foot in it. When he looked at Eddie, Eddie looked calculating, like he was trying to figure it out. And he was closer to the truth than any of the others. It could have made for the perfect moment to come clean, except that Buck just couldn’t do it. Instead, he decided to explain. 

“What?” Buck asked. “Is he not a good cook?” He was practically holding his breath. 

“That boy would burn water,” Pepa said. 

Buck gasped and he laughed. He had to come up with something quickly and he hoped that they would buy it. “So I guess when he told me he cooked us dinner he was just pretending it was him that cooked it.” 

Hen cackled at that. Buck heard Chim let out a sigh. Mostly, Buck felt like he was in over his head. There would be other questions and other details that Buck would be guessing at and probably not getting right. This was just the first. He really needed to come clean. And soon. 

“That sounds like Andrew,” Hen said. “I guess he was trying to impress you.” 

Buck shrugged his shoulders. “Well, he did.” 

—-

Eddie was still suspicious. It wasn’t that Buck wasn’t likeable. He was friendly and nice and charismatic and Eddie could see exactly why everyone else already liked him and accepted that he was Andrew’s boyfriend. Eddie still couldn’t buy that his brother would date a man. He knew Andrew too well to believe that his brother would ever be attracted to a man, even one as gorgeous as Buck. And yet trying to catch Buck out with a simple comment about cooking skills did nothing but endear Buck to everyone else because Andrew would fake cooking skills to impress someone. Actually, Eddie was pretty sure that his brother had done that on a few occasions with girls. But never a guy because Andrew was as heterosexual as they came. 

After they finished dinner and Buck tried to help with clean up but was refused, Eddie found himself sitting with Hen in the living room. He spotted Buck talking to May and Michael and from what he could hear it was about college applications. But what did someone that worked as a barista know about college? It was a bit of a judgemental thought and Eddie disliked himself a little for it. 

“You don’t like him,” Hen said. 

“I just can’t buy that Andrew would date a guy. We all know him, Hen, and he’s very very straight. And not only that, but he’s not exactly the relationship type or a kid person. So even if he is, I don’t know, bi or whatever, this still makes no sense. This guy — Buck — he doesn’t make sense for Andrew.”

“Eddie, come on,” Hen said. “People change and grow and maybe you acting this way is what kept your brother from telling us about Buck in the first place.” 

“There’s change and then there’s this,” Eddie said. “Just look at Buck and who he is.”

Buck was at that moment talking to the kids and looking at the cards they had finished making. The way that he was with the kids, it was so obvious that he was someone that enjoyed spending time with children. Eddie couldn’t remember ever seeing his brother acting that way with the kids with genuine interest and care. 

“He isn’t remotely Andrew’s type without even considering that he has a dick,” Eddie said to Hen. 

Eddie knew he had a point. Andrew was just...he was Eddie’s brother and Eddie knew him and Buck didn’t make sense in relation to Andrew. 

“So why do you think he’s here then?” Hen asked, motioning to Buck who had somehow ended up helping Christopher pick up some crayons that rolled onto the floor. 

“I don’t know,” Eddie said. “But I’m going to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing the Eddie bits in this one.  
> Let me know what you all thought!
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/615407362507931648/im-with-you-3) on tumblr.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter that I had such a blast writing in part because lots of Buck and Eddie interaction. Enjoy.

Buck got home late after the dinner, but he still grabbed the bag of Andrew’s belongings and took it with him up to his apartment. He dumped it on his kitchen island and then went straight up the stairs and into his bathroom for a shower. It was while he was fully soaked and getting shampoo in his hair that he allowed himself to think about the dinner and about Andrew’s friends and family and how he’d failed at telling them the truth. 

Buck hadn’t even gotten to talk to Chimney about the whole thing and he had no idea how the other man felt about the lie. Buck had also gone and put his foot in his mouth with all that talk about Andrew cooking. He was so dumb. He’d gotten lucky, but the possibility of any of them asking another question he didn’t know the answer to was more than likely and Buck would probably strike out again and depending on the question it would be a dead give away. He needed to come clean. 

When he’d gotten dry and into pj bottoms, Buck just slipped into his bed, already yawning and it wasn’t long before he was asleep. 

The next day was at least his day off, so he slept past his usual wake up time and had plenty of time to make himself breakfast. It was when he sat down at the island with his eggs, bacon, and toast that Buck remembered the bag of Andrew’s things. 

He opened it and dumped everything on the counter space next to him. There seemed to be more things there than he’d originally noticed. Buck still didn’t quite understand why the hospital hadn’t just kept his things until Andrew was awake. 

Buck looked at Andrew’s phone first. It was an iphone — the newest model it seemed like. When he tapped the screen it came to life on a picture of a firetruck. It was password protected so Buck couldn’t open it so he set it aside. He took a few bites of his food before he looked at the keys. They were car keys but house keys were also attached with one single key chain of an elephant. Andrew’s wallet was there too and Buck didn’t bother to open it for the moment. He just set it aside and grabbed the dog collar. The collar itself didn’t look like it was new. It was worn in places. But the name tag was new. 

“Who are you Legolas?” Buck asked. Did Andrew have a dog? And if he did, then had anyone gone to feed it or let it out? 

No one had mentioned a dog or going by Andrew’s place for that matter. Maybe they had all expected Buck to do it since he was the boyfriend?

Buck ate the rest of his breakfast and considered it. Should he go over just to make sure there wasn’t a starving dog waiting for an owner that was still asleep in a hospital bed? His fingers played with the keys for a while before he reached over and grabbed the wallet. Andrew’s license was the first thing his eyes were drawn to. The picture on it didn’t do him any justice but his address was right there. His apartment wasn’t close, but it wasn’t too far either. 

Buck looked through the rest of the wallet. There were a few credit cards, a debit, and then a couple of business cards too. One of them was to a pet grooming place which made Buck pause. Andrew had to have a dog. 

“I have to go,” Buck said. “It’s for the dog’s sake.” And if he were to be truthful with himself, he would admit that it was also to do with how he wanted to see Andrew’s place and maybe find out more about him. So he gathered all of Andrew’s things back into the clear bag and went up to get changed before he headed out. 

The address on Andrew’s license led Buck to a house but it was one of those two family homes. Buck parked out in front of the house and then walked up towards the house. He let himself in and paused when he was inside. Was this crossing another line? Probably. It would only be justified if Buck found Andrew’s dog. He really hoped Andrew had a dog, but no dog had appeared when he opened the front door and that seemed entirely like a bad sign. 

“Dog!” Buck called as he stepped further inside. 

The house was nice. The living room had a big tv, a couch, and what looked to be a few dirty glasses and beer bottles on the coffee table. Andrew had also left a pair of shoes right by the couch and Buck thought he spied a t-shirt too. So maybe he was a little messy. No one was perfect. Then, Buck spotted the bra hanging off a lamp. He was also probably very very straight and none of this was going to end well for Buck. 

“Dog, where are you?” Buck called. 

He walked into the kitchen. There were a few plates in the sink but the rest of it was clean. A door off of the kitchen led to a bathroom. Buck climbed up the stairs next and called out for the dog again. Did Andrew somehow have a deaf dog? Or one that was scared of intruders? 

In the upstairs there was a bathroom and two bedrooms. The first looked like a guest room going by how plain and kinda dusty the room was. The next had to be Andrew’s. There were clothes on the floor, the bed hadn’t been made, and there was no dog to be found. 

Buck was just about to look under the bed or try and find other signs that an animal lived in the house when he heard the door open downstairs. It made him freeze. He had no idea what to do or who might have arrived. Maybe he’d made a mistake by coming at all. Buck was just so dumb. He was making the lie and the misunderstanding worse by the minute.

—-

**Has anyone been by Drew’s to check on things?**

The text from Hen was the first thing to wake Eddie, the second being his alarm actually going off signaling that it was time to get his son up and ready for school. Eddie had the day off at least so he had planned on getting back home and sleeping a bit more except that Hen’s text on the group chat had him thinking. Had Pepa or abuela gone by Andrew’s house? Probably not. They were probably spending any spare time at the hospital.

**I can stop by after I drop off Christopher at school.**

He sent the text before finally getting out of bed and then went to wake Christopher. Chris was splayed out on his bed, his curls sticking out by the pillow. 

“Time to wake up, buddie,” Eddie said and he shook his shoulder gently until Christopher was blinking at him and rubbing his eyes. It took Christopher a moment longer before he sat up. “Need help?” 

“No,” Christopher said like he did every morning. 

Their morning routine was pretty much the same every morning and by the time that they were dressed and fed, it was time to head out. After dropping Christopher off, Eddie drove over to Andrew’s house. He parked behind a grey Jeep and walked up to the door. He was surprised when the door was unlocked but looking back he didn’t recognize any of the cars that were parked. Maybe Andrew had forgotten to lock it when he left the last time. 

As he stepped inside, Eddie noticed nothing amiss. Andrew always kept a slightly messy house. He walked towards the kitchen and opened the fridge. Without knowing how long Andrew was going to be in the hospital, Eddie figured he’d check and see if his brother had anything in there that would go bad. Of course, the fridge was empty other than a couple of take out containers and beer. 

Eddie closed the fridge door and pulled out his phone to text the others when he heard a noise from upstairs. Without thinking, he headed to the stairs and he didn’t expect to find Buck coming down them. 

“Oh,” Buck said. “Hi.” 

“Hello,” Eddie said. “I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

It was more than a shock. Buck was in Andrew’s apartment which made the whole boyfriend thing so much more real. 

Buck looked nervous, but he stepped down a few more steps. “I, uh, I figured I’d stop by,” he said. 

“How did you get in?” Eddie asked and the question sounded stupid even when he asked it. 

“Keys,” Buck said. 

“So you must spend a lot of time here, then,” Eddie said. 

Buck just shrugged. “Uh — I — well, someone had to check on the dog. Although—”

“Dog?” Eddie asked. Things were getting only stranger and stranger. 

“Legolas,” Buck said.

—-

Why did he have to mention the dog? Buck could have hit himself or just let himself fall down the stairs. He was just so dumb. And the way that Eddie was looking at him, frow burrowed and like he wanted nothing more than to call Buck out on the lie, it made Buck want to just disappear right there where he was standing. Somehow, though, right at that moment a dog came running from the kitchen. Buck was glad that Eddie was looking at the dog and missed his surprise at actually finally seeing a dog. Legolas. 

He was a golden retriever and at the moment his golden fur was covered in grass and dead leaves and twigs. He stopped right by Eddie and looked up, mouth open. He was panting a little. 

“Oh, there you are,” Buck said. “Legolas meet Eddie. Eddie, Legolas.” 

Legolas barked at his name and Buck tried to contain his glee at there actually being a dog there but he could tell that Eddie was thrown off. 

“I — I had no idea Andrew had a dog,” Eddie said as Legolas barked again. “Looking at him, the name seems to fit.”

“I don’t know about that but he must be hungry,” Buck said and he continued down the stairs.

Eddie moved out of his way in a sort of daze. Buck reached the dog and Legolas had to be the friendliest of dogs because he let Buck pet him like Buck wasn’t a stranger to him. He actually nuzzled into his hands and rubbed his body against Buck’s legs. 

Legolas followed him as he walked to the kitchen and Buck almost tripped on air when he spotted the bra on the lamp from earlier and he hoped that Eddie wouldn’t notice it. Of course, Eddie did. 

“Is that a bra on that lamp?” Eddie asked. 

Buck took a long moment before he looked at Eddie. 

“Uh...do you really want to know why that is there?” Buck asked. 

Eddie glanced back at him and Buck had no idea what to make of Eddie’s expression because there was confusion and also he didn’t seem to know if he should ask Buck to elaborate or not. Buck hoped he would drop it. 

“I guess not,” Eddie said eventually, cautiously. 

“Uh...yes, food for Legolas,” Buck said and he continued on towards the kitchen where Legolas was already waiting. Buck had no idea where the dog food was. He checked a few cabinets but found nothing. “Don’t know where he keeps the dog food,” Buck admitted. 

Eddie chuckled but he moved to help and Buck was hoping that Eddie had already moved past the whole bra thing. 

It was Eddie that found the food. “Aha,” he said. “And there’s a dog plate in here too.” 

Eddie took it upon himself to get the kibble on the plate so Buck figured it was a good time as any to grab the collar. He was in the middle of it putting it around Legolas’ neck when Eddie turned. 

“Andrew was picking up a new name tag,” Buck explained. 

“Looking at him, it makes sense he called him Legolas,” Eddie said. 

Buck still had no idea where the name came from so he shrugged as Eddie placed the plate on the floor and Legolas practically lunged forward to get to it. 

“Oh, poor thing,” Buck said. 

“No one’s been here since Andrew left for work two days ago,” Eddie said and it was more statement than question.

“No,” Buck said. “So much happened.”

Eddie nodded. 

Legolas finished his food quickly enough and Eddie looked to Buck before pouring a bit more and while Legolas didn’t finish eating all of it, he ate most of it. Legolas walked off then and Buck followed because he still didn’t know where he’d been the entire time that he was looking for him. Apparently there was a doggie door on the kitchen door that led to a deck and to a backyard. After Legolas went through, Buck opened the door and stepped outside. A dog water fountain sat right by the door and still looked like it had plenty of water. There were a few chew toys thrown about and a dog bed. 

The yard wasn’t huge, but there was plenty of space for Legolas to run around in. It was peaceful and nice and of course this was Andrew’s place. Of course he had somewhere like this to go and relax. 

Legolas picked up a tennis ball and brought it to Buck, barking at him and wagging his tail. 

“You want to play, don’t you?” Buck asked. 

Legolas barked again. 

Buck had all but forgotten about Eddie as he walked with Legolas down the steps and he threw the ball and Legolas went running after it. Legolas brought it back and dropped it at Buck’s feet for another throw. When he went to get it this time, Legolas didn’t return to Buck. Instead, he ran to Eddie who had followed them outside. 

“You are a good boy, aren’t you?” Eddie asked, rubbing the dog’s head and tossing the ball. “So, when did Andrew get a dog?” 

“Uh, not that long ago,” Buck said. 

“You know, when we were kids I always wanted a dog,” Eddie said. “Begged our parents. My sisters wanted a cat but my mom’s allergic to cats. And then I almost made my mom give in but Andrew wanted nothing to do with a dog and because he didn’t want one my parents just decided it was better not to. He’s never been fond of animals. That’s why I’m so surprised to see one here.”

“And surprised that he has a boyfriend,” Buck added. 

Buck didn’t look back at Eddie, instead he bent down when Legolas ran at him, petting him down his back. Legolas tried to lick him and Buck laughed as he tried to avoid the dog. He really was perfect. 

—-

Buck laughing and playing with Legolas made him somehow even more attractive, especially when Legolas jumped at him and Buck was on his back and Legolas was finally licking his face. Buck’s laughter carried over to Eddie and he was just so joyful and happy as he hugged the dog and sat up. Eddie somehow couldn’t picture his brother in Buck’s place actually playing with a dog and having a good time. Andrew wasn’t a dog person. Or an animal person at all. 

A call a few months earlier had made it obvious how little Andrew’s feelings about animals had changed. A dog had dug a hole and gotten trapped in mud and despite how much Andrew worked with him and Chim to dig the dog out when the dog tried to go towards him, Andrew had drawn back and it was Chimney that had grabbed hold of the dog and pet it. 

Eddie had gone over to join Chimney, checking over the dog for any injury but also glad to have the dog out of the hole and alive. 

“So, you’re not a dog person,” Hen said later when they were heading back to the station. 

“Did one bite you or something?” Chimney asked. 

“Just not a fan,” Andrew had said and left it at that. 

So, why did Andrew have a dog? Why did Andrew have a boyfriend? Why was his boyfriend Buck...someone that Andrew just didn’t deserve and that as far as Eddie could tell was just good. Or at least decent. And it just didn’t make sense that Andrew could have landed someone like Buck. 

“No,” Eddie said, “I didn’t expect someone like you.” 

“With your brother,” Buck said and he looked at him and his eyes looked so big and so oddly innocent and Eddie sighed.

“It’s just that I never expected Andrew to settle down, I guess. To have a real relationship. I don’t know. He has a dog and that’s not something I ever saw coming.” 

Buck looked odd, like he didn’t know what to say or he was weighing the different things that he could say. He looked almost as surprised and stricken as the moment back in the living room when they came upon the bra. 

Eddie had questions about it...but he also had an imagination and the implication that it had been used during some sort of role-play made his but squicked out because the last thing he wanted to think about was Andrew and sex or role-playing games, but then there was the Buck aspect and maybe thinking about Buck that way was a little too easy. 

“So, maybe you didn’t know him as well as you thought,” Buck said. 

“Maybe,” Eddie said but he still didn’t believe it. “I didn’t really get a chance to talk to you last night. And I guess if we’re going to be family I should get to know you.” 

Buck smiled a little. He was still sitting on the grass and he threw the ball for Legolas who went running but came back almost at once and dropped the ball at Eddie’s feet. He threw it and the dog ran off again but he seemed to be done with the game because he came back and laid down next to Buck, chewing on the ball. 

“What do you want to know?” Buck asked. 

“Are you from here?” Eddie asked. “LA, I mean?”

Buck shook his head. “Pennsylvania,” Buck said. “My parents are still there. My sister probably is too. I’m not entirely sure. I haven’t spoken to them in ages.” 

“You haven’t spoken to your parents in ages?” Eddie asked. 

Eddie could be lucky if he went one week without being pestered by his parents about something or other. 

“After I left, there wasn’t really a point in keeping in touch,” Buck said with a shrug. “And my sister got married and she hasn’t answered my calls or texts in years.”

“I — I’m sorry,” Eddie said. 

“You have nothing to do with it,” Buck said. “To be honest, my parents weren’t very interested in being parents when I was with them and leaving them behind felt like the right choice. The only choice.”

Buck stood up and he shook his legs a little, patting himself down to get grass blades off. Eddie grinned watching him as he hopped around. Legolas seemed to think it was a game because he started jumping around too, lunging at Buck who just laughed and then started to chase Legolas around. Eddie was trying his hardest to look at it from Andrew’s perspective and yet despite how much he personally found an appeal to Buck in all kinds of ways, it didn’t mean that Andrew felt the same way. Andrew could like him, sure, and find him an interesting person but that in no way meant that Andrew was interested in Buck romantically. 

“So, um, how did you meet, anyway?” Eddie asked.

—-

Buck couldn’t be sure, but he could tell that Eddie was skeptical of the whole thing and Buck couldn’t blame him because for one thing it really was a lie and for another Buck was a horrible liar. Well, not horrible, he just seemed to make things worse for himself. And of course, the whole bra thing hadn’t helped matters. So when Eddie asked about how he and Andrew had met, Buck knew that he had to give Eddie something of a believable story. 

“He came into Coffee Time. I work there and we just started talking,” Buck said. It was what he’d told Chimney right before Chimney found out the truth. Somehow, Buck didn’t think that Eddie would take to the truth as well as Chimney had. 

What Eddie did give him was insight into how he viewed his brother. Eddie didn’t think that Andrew was the settling down type. He also was sure that his brother hated dogs and yet there was a dog running around Andrew’s yard. Buck kind of loved Legolas. He also loved the contradiction that the dog offered Eddie’s idea of who his brother was. 

“He picks up coffee for us before every shift,” Eddie said. 

Buck nodded. “He was in a lot and we got to know each other.”

Legolas nudged him and when Buck glanced at him, he realized that the dog had brought him a leash. He wanted to go on a walk. The poor thing probably hadn’t left the yard and the house in days. 

“I guess it’s time for a walk,” Buck said and maybe he was glad to find a reason to escape the conversation. 

He clipped the leash onto the collar and Legolas turned in a circle in his excitement. When Buck glanced at Eddie, he was smiling. Buck didn’t expect for Eddie to go with him, he was actually glad to have an escape, but then Eddie motioned for him to follow him. 

“Come on, then,” Eddie said and he walked towards where the fence had a door. 

Buck followed with Legolas and they stepped out and walked to the front of the house. Legolas sniffed everything he could and he lifted his leg against the first tree and then the second and the third. 

“Marking his spot, I guess,” Eddie said. 

It was a nice neighborhood. Calm and quiet with not many cars around and even fewer people. 

“How’s your son?” Buck asked eventually. 

“At school now. He’s good.”

Buck nodded. “He’s very sweet. And completely adorable. His mom couldn’t make it last night, then? I noticed she wasn’t around.” 

Eddie didn’t answer at once and Buck had to wonder if he’d put his foot in it again. 

“Um, I guess you wouldn’t know. She’s...she’s not in the picture,” Eddie said. “Hasn’t been for a while.”

“I’m sorry. That must be hard,” Buck said. 

“It is and it isn’t,” Eddie said with a shrug. “It’s been long enough now that it doesn’t even matter.”

“But Christopher must miss her,” Buck said. 

“He remembers her and he talks about her sometimes but kids...they adapt to things quickly,” Eddie said and left it at that. 

They walked in silence for a while until Eddie asked about Buck’s plans for Legolas if Andrew had to be in the hospital for longer than a few more days. 

“I don’t know,” Buck admitted and then looking at Legolas while he was sniffing a flower. “I can stop by at least once a day to feed him and take him out. I think he’d be better off here though with the yard and everything.”

Eddie nodded. “I, um, I think Christopher would love to meet Legolas.” 

It was weird the way that Eddie was looking at him like he was asking for permission to visit his own brother’s house and dog as if Buck somehow had more authority there. 

“You should,” Buck said and he turned to look at Eddie, smiling at him. “I’m sure he would absolutely love it. I think your son is adorable.”

When they were getting back to the house, Buck’s phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket. It was Pepa, so he answered it at once hoping that she didn’t have any bad news for him. 

“Hi, Buck,” she said at once. “How are you?” 

“Oh, I’m good. And you? How is Isabel?” 

Eddie tugged at the leash and Buck let it go and nodded at him. Eddie shot him a smile. 

“She’s doing well today, thank you for asking. I was wondering if you were going to stop by the hospital today. Andrew is the same but the doctors think it’s good for him to have company. I also wanted to thank you for coming last night.”

“Oh,” Buck said. “Yes, I’ll stop by today. And I’m glad I went last night. It’s nice getting to know everyone.” 

They made it into the backyard and Eddie took care of letting Legolas off his leash. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Pepa said and Buck could practically feel her warmth right through the phone. “I don’t know if you’ll be here before we go, but I do hope to get coffee or something with you soon, Buck.” 

“Of course,” Buck said and he felt so guilty for already loving this woman who was so warm and so welcoming and wonderful. And here he was painting this lie. 

When he got off the phone, he found Eddie watching him. 

“Pepa,” Buck said. 

“She’ll be calling you a lot,” Eddie said with a chuckle. “That’s who she is.” 

Buck shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think I mind that at all.” 

“Did she want anything?” Eddie asked. 

“Just wanted to know if I was going to stop by the hospital today. I was planning on it after stopping here. He’s the same, you know. No changes. I guess it’s supposed to be a good thing for his recovery.” 

Eddie nodded. “It is. He’ll wake up in no time and things will go back to normal. Well, he’ll have to face a lot of questions but it’ll be normal again.” 

And Buck would be out of their lives. He would have to come clean and they would all hate him. Eddie would hate him. Somehow that felt like the biggest blow even though he barely even knew Eddie and as far as Buck could tell, Eddie was suspicious of him but he was still a good guy and that made it hard for Buck to dislike him. 

“I, um, I should get going,” Buck said. “Go see Andrew.”

“Sure. Sure. Maybe I’ll see you there later. Christopher wants to go see him and bring the card he made.” 

“Looked like a lot of glitter went into it,” Buck said and Eddie just groaned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my favorite things about this chapter was bringing Legolas into it. And yes, Buck does not get the LOTR reference. 
> 
> In the movie the scene I'm referencing is to do with a cat but I personally don't like cats and I felt like a dog being more active and more Buck-like would fit better. 
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/616045260701908992/im-with-you-4) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	5. Chapter 5

  
When he arrived at the hospital with Christopher, Eddie found Buck getting ready to leave. Christopher stopped just in front of Buck, looking up at him. 

“Hi, Buck,” he’d said.

“Oh, hey, kiddo,” Buck said with a grin and then looked away from Christopher and met Eddie’s eyes. “Hey, man.” 

Christopher looked towards the bed, then, and froze and looked back at Eddie with a question in his eyes. Christopher knew that his uncle was in a coma, but it was hard to get a kid to understand exactly what was going on even one as smart as Christopher. 

“Daddy,” he said. 

“Remember we talked about this, Chris,” Eddie said gently. “Your uncle got hurt and now he’s going to be sleeping for a little while.” 

“It’s so he can rest up and get better,” Buck added in. “His body is repairing itself and then when he wakes up, he’ll feel a lot better.”

“Oh,” Christopher said. “So, he can’t see my card?” 

Buck chuckled. “Not right now but when he wakes up I’m sure he’ll be glad to see that you brought it over. We can put it right here on the table so it’s one of the first things he sees. How about that?” 

Christopher nodded eagerly and Buck moved the chair and himself out of the way so that Christopher could prop up the card on the bedside table. Afterwards, his son turned to Andrew and lightly he touched Andrew’s hand before he drew back. 

“Well, I was heading out,” Buck said. “I’m glad he won’t be alone.” 

Eddie nodded.

Buck ruffled Christopher’s hair on his way out and then he was gone. Christopher got bored after a while and asked if he could color. Coloring was Christopher’s favorite pastime so it was easy to just set him up somewhere so he could color while Eddie sat with Andrew. People often said that it was good to talk to coma patients and with Christopher distracted, Eddie just started talking. 

He told Andrew about what he’d missed at work on the day of the accident and then rambled on about how their parents were coming to LA the next day. 

“It’s really annoying. And they’re insisting on staying with me even though your house is empty and they could have the run of the place. Mom says it would be weird because you’re not there. Not to mention they don’t know about Legolas. Or Buck. None of us knew about that.” Eddie paused there to look at his brother. “You know, I don’t get it.” 

Andrew couldn’t answer no matter how much Eddie wanted him to so he could explain himself and explain Buck. 

“I just don’t understand, Andrew. Have you been lying this entire time or did you not know how to tell us? Did you think we would judge? And the dog. You don’t like dogs. Growing up...it always felt like you got your way. You got everything you wanted and Buck is—” Eddie sighed and didn’t finish the thought because if he said it outloud it would be admitting it. It was better to say nothing at all. 

Eddie pulled out his phone for a while, glancing at his texts and catching up with all the memes Chim had decided to send him for no apparent reason. He saw a text from Pepa about his parents and ignored it for later. 

Eddie was looking forward to seeing his mom and dad. He didn’t see enough of them, it was just that things were always a little hard when they were around. Even though he had Andrew and Pepa and Abuela around, his parents always worried about how Eddie was doing as a single father. They wanted him back in Texas. He heard about it every time that they came to visit. Maybe this time they would be more preoccupied with Andrew to bother though. Or they would realize that Eddie was doing just fine with Christopher. 

Christopher poked his arm after a while to show him what he’d been coloring. It was a picture of a blob that was supposed to be Andrew, on a bed. 

“Looks good, kid,” Eddie said. 

One of the nurses came in then. She smiled at him and Eddie. 

“Hello,” she said, “just coming in to check on him.”

Eddie watched her. She didn’t do much but she wrote some things down on his chart and then with a smile and wave she was gone again. 

Eddie pulled Christopher up on his lap after a while. Christopher leaned against him and Eddie just loved his kid so much. He was hit with that all the time, the encompassing love that he felt for his child. It was like nothing else that Eddie had ever felt. One time he’d tried to explain what that was like to Andrew who didn’t really get it or want to understand why Eddie felt the way he did especially with how Christopher had come to be. Eddie could hardly imagine what Andrew might have done in his place. 

When Christopher started to squirm, Eddie let him down again. There was no point in sticking around. He knew Christopher would get bored soon and talking to Andrew was frustrating because ot was like talking to no one at all. Not to mention that he had to get his house clean and fix up the guest room for his parents because if it was one thing that his mom liked to do was criticize and he didn’t want to give her any reason to complain. 

Eddie was going to be one picking them up right after dropping Christopher off at school and considering he had to go into work mid-day, Eddie knew he was looking forward to a long day. 

—-

Buck went by Coffee Time after the hospital in part because he wanted coffee but also because he wanted to talk to someone and he had two options. Ali and Chimney. And since Chimney was mostly a stranger, Buck figured Ali was his best bet. 

Ali was already getting ready to leave when he arrived, but she waited for him to order and get his coffee before she linked their arms together. 

“So, you didn’t tell them,” she said and Buck just sighed. 

“I couldn’t do it,” Buck admitted. “I’m just that much of a coward.” 

Ali laughed and nudged him as they stepped outside. It was a nice day, not too hot but warm enough that it was nice to take a stroll out. Buck couldn’t help but remember earlier that morning when he’d been walking Legolas with Eddie. 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Ali said. “So tell me how that dinner went?” 

“It was nice. They’re loud and friendly and sometimes they bicker and yet they all care about each other,” Buck said. “And, Ali, he has a brother.” 

Ali chuckled softly and under her breath. “And is the brother attractive?”

“The brother is very attractive. And he has a son who is just adorable. He’s — Eddie has been suspicious of me. He pretty much told me he didn’t expect his brother to be with someone like me which—”

“Which is rude,” Ali said, looking at Buck with her eyes wide. 

Buck laughed and shook his head. “No. I mean, he’s right. Andrew is unfortunately very very straight and everyone knows it so the fact that they’re all willing to believe all of this is—” Buck trailed off and he felt Ali touch his arm. “They’re just so wonderful. And I’m lying to them and I don’t know when Andrew will wake up but he will and then I don’t know—”

They stopped when they came to a bench. They weren’t too far from where the incident had happened and Buck almost couldn’t believe that barely any time at all had passed since that day.

“Buck, I really don’t know how to help you here,” Ali said. 

Buck laughed and it was maybe a cry for help too. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. This is a house of cards and it’s going to collapse and I’ll be the casualty.”

They were silent for a while and Buck sipped at his coffee. A nice wind hit them and Ali sighed. It was the same sigh that she’d given him back at Christmas when he’d dragged her into a Hallmark to pick up a card for Maddie. Buck had no idea if the address he had was even hers anymore, but he’d sent the card anyway even while Ali judged him for bothering. Buck just wanted to be sure that she knew he was still there for whenever she decided it was time to return his call or his Christmas card. 

“So, about this hot brother,” Ali said eventually.

Buck turned to face her entirely. “Ali, he is gorgeous. The genes, Ali. His kid doesn’t look anything like him, though. And he told me today that the mom isn’t in the picture. Didn’t elaborate or anything but he’s probably straight too. Can’t win on all accounts.” 

Ali burst into laughter then. “Buck, only you could end up in a problem such as this one.”

“I know.” 

Buck went to the gym after he and Ali parted ways. He usually went straight to the gym after he got off work and then he skipped working out altogether on his days off but with everything that happened with Andrew, Buck hadn’t stepped foot inside his gym in a few days and he was aching for a workout. 

It was easy to lose himself to lifting weights and to the routine of stretching his muscles and making use of them. By the time that he was done and covered in sweat, his mind felt a bit clearer. He still wasn’t any closer to solving his problems, but he wasn’t expecting to find an easy solution. He was also pretty sure that no matter what he did things wouldn’t end at all well. 

On his way out to his car, he checked his phone. Pepa had texted checking in with him. There were also a few texts from Chimney. 

**Hey, liar.**   
**Just wanted to let you know I won’t out you to them.**   
**And Eddie doesn’t seem all that suspicious anymore.**   
**So that’s good.**   
**What did you tell him?**   
**Good luck, liar.**

Buck couldn’t help but smile at the texts. He just hoped that after it was all over he might get to keep Chimney as a friend. 

**Thanks. I appreciate it.**   
**I really...I couldn’t tell them.**   
**It was too hard.**   
**I think finding me in Andrew’s house with his dog helped me out in respect to Eddie.**

Instead of going straight to his apartment, Buck made the trip over to Andrew’s instead. He figured that even if Legolas could get himself out onto the yard, that it wasn’t fair to leave the dog with no food until he got out of work the next day and stopped by. Buck couldn’t be sure when Eddie was planning on bringing Christopher to meet Legolas, so the least that Buck could do was leave the dog some food out and take him on another walk. 

Legolas actually appeared at the door when he opened it this time and Buck bent down to pet him, leaving the door ajar. Buck hadn’t been petting him long when he heard a knock on the door and looked up. 

It was a guy that looked sort of familiar to Buck but he couldn’t place where he could have met or seen him before. 

“Hello,” Buck said. 

“Hi,” the guy said, frowning at him. “Uh, who are you?” 

“I’m — I’m Buck,” Buck said. “Andrew’s boyfriend.” 

The guy stared at him for a long time. “Andrew’s boyfriend,” he repeated and then laughed. “What? No, that’s not possible.” He was still laughing. 

“Who are you?” Buck asked. 

“I’m Andrew’s best friend,” the guy said. “Josh. So I would have heard about this little development. Although, you are in his house. Where is Andrew anyway?” 

Buck ran a hand down Legolas’ back. Josh was looking at Legolas with some confusion and then back at Buck. 

“He’s in the hospital,” Buck said at last. “It’s why I’m here looking after his dog.” 

Josh gasped and covered his mouth with his hand but in the next moment he was looking at Legolas again. 

“Andrew doesn’t have a dog,” Josh said, then. 

“Look, dude, I don’t know what to tell you but he does have a dog. His name is Legolas and I’m taking him on a walk. Andrew’s in a coma and they said he’ll be fine and wake up soon but that’s the state of things. So not entirely good.” 

“And you’re his boyfriend,” Josh said and he whistled. “Well if he’s going for men now, at least he’s got good taste.” He looked Buck up and down twice. 

“Yes, I’m his boyfriend,” Buck said and he tried not to be flattered by the way that Josh was so obviously checking him out. “And...I should go feed and take Legolas out.” 

Instead of leaving, Josh stepped inside and closed the door behind him and Buck really had no idea what to do with this guy so he ignored him and walked to the kitchen and he heard Josh follow. Somehow, this felt worse than the whole thing with Eddie earlier. 

Buck busied himself pouring out dog food into Legolas’ plate and Legolas waited until Buck was done to start eating. When Buck was done, he finally looked at Josh who had made himself comfortable by jumping up on the counter. 

“Okay, so…” Buck said.

Josh regarded him for a moment. “I just...I want to get this all straight,” he said and then laughed. “No, sorry. I guess it’s not straight, is it?” He laughed again but sobered up quickly enough. 

“Andrew was in an accident. He hit his head and he’s in the hospital. Has been for a few days now,” Buck said. 

Josh nodded thoughtfully. “Okay...so, I get that. I’m just not understanding where you come in. Or, well, that dog.”

Explanations — lies, really, popped into his head. He could keep it all going and tell him what he’d told everyone else except that it was exhausting. Lying was the most exhausting thing in the world and Josh was already seeing through the whole thing. It didn’t seem worth it to lie to Josh, so instead of telling him once more that he was Andrew’s boyfriend he let out a sigh and he braced himself. This was the first step. If he could tell Josh then maybe he would figure out how to tell everyone else. 

“Fine, so I’m not his boyfriend.” 

“Aha!” Josh cried and he jumped off the counter. “I knew it. I have excellent gaydar and Andrew, I am sorry to say, is at most a one on the kinsey scale. And he doesn’t like dogs, so where did he come from?” Josh’s eyes were widened for effect and he glanced at Legolas and then back at Buck and raised an eyebrow. 

“I have no idea where the dog came from,” Buck admitted and it felt good to say it to someone. “I just know that he had a dog collar on him when he hit his head and that the hospital gave me all his stuff. So I came here because I figured there was a dog and there was. His brother was surprised about Legolas too.”

Josh burst out into laughter that didn’t stop for a long moment. Buck was almost regretting telling him. 

“So you got yourself into quite the pickle, then,” Josh said at last. “What are you going to do?” 

“Let it blow up in my face,” Buck said and groaned. “He’ll wake up any day now and I’m going to be this giant joke to them that they laugh about. Pathetic Buck who lied about having a boyfriend and then kept the lie going while their family member was in a freaking coma.” 

Josh reached over to pat Buck’s arm. “Listen, this is not as bad as it seems. The single life...it’s a struggle. Andrew isn’t a bad guy.”

“I’ve been lying about being his boyfriend,” Buck said. “Even the nicest most understanding person would be upset about that.” 

He and Josh hung out for a while longer. Josh had even gone into Andrew’s fridge and brought out a couple of beers and they went outside because it was a nice night out and because Legolas wanted to go outside. 

“So, what made you do it exactly?” Josh asked eventually. 

“His grandmother,” Buck said. “I was talking out loud like an idiot and this nurse just assumed I was his boyfriend. And I wanted to check on him because the whole thing happened really fast and I sorta knew him and I was—”

“You were worried,” Josh said with a shoulder shrug. 

Despite how weird things were that night, Josh was turning out to be a pretty cool and nice guy and Buck liked him. It was strange how he was suddenly finding people to talk to and that Josh had stuck around even after hearing about the mess that Buck had turned his life into. 

“I was worried,” Buck admitted. “I, um, I pulled him out of the way of traffic and just all of it...I wanted to be sure he would be okay. And then Athena showed up and I thought she was there to question me.”

“Athena is—”

“Sergeant Grant,” Buck said. 

Josh nodded and he took a sip of his beer, motioning for Buck to go on. 

“Before I knew it his coworkers were there and then his aunt and his grandmother and I wanted to say something but his grandma didn’t look like she would be able to just handle it and she seemed so happy to hear I was Andrew’s boyfriend so it all just spiralled from there.” 

Josh whistled. Legolas came running at them and Buck laughed when Josh was almost knocked on his back but then he grabbed Legolas by the collar and pulled him back. 

“And here you are in your fake boyfriend’s house with his best friend,” Josh said.

Buck let go of Legolas and then turned to look at Josh directly. “Wait,” he said, “since you’re his best friend, tell me about him. Things I should know so I don’t—”

“Put your foot in it,” Josh finished for him. 

“Sure,” Buck said. 

Legolas brought him the leash so Buck stood up. “Come on, time to take this guy on a walk. Isn’t that right, Legolas?” 

Legolas barked.

Josh followed him out of the yard and it was so reminiscent of his time with Eddie but it was different too. Josh talked about Andrew, mostly things that Buck had already observed about the guy and then when they paused so that Legolas could do this business Josh chuckled. 

“Oh, and Andrew only has one ball sac,” Josh said.

Buck didn’t know what to say for a long while. “How — how do you know that?” 

Josh just shrugged. “You really don’t want to know.” 

Buck’s phone rang right at that moment saving Buck from asking how Josh had that information in the first place. It was an unknown number but he picked it up anyway. 

“Hello?” Buck asked. 

“Hey, Buck. It’s Hen. Just wanted to check up on you and see how you’re doing.”

Buck was a bit floored. “Uh, I’m good. How are you?” 

Hen chuckled. “Chim gave me your number. I just — I figure you’re having a hard time right now with Andrew in the hospital and all and Eddie said earlier that you’re pretty on your own. So I wanted to be sure you’d be okay.” 

Buck couldn’t remember the last time that someone had cared enough to check on him. 

“I — I’m okay.”

“Good. Good,” Hen said. “Well, you have my number now so just call me if you need anything. Even if just to talk, alright?” 

“I...yes, thank you,” Buck said and he was hit with the guilt again. They were just too good and too welcoming and he was a horrible person. “Andrew has really good friends.”

“We’re family,” Hen said. “That’s partly the job...but it’s been easy to care about these Diaz boys.”

Buck smiled to himself. Josh next to him raised his eyebrow. 

“Yeah,” Buck said. 

“Anyway, I’ll let you go, but I hope to see you soon, Buck.” 

“You too,” Buck said. 

And he wanted to scream. He wanted to let himself be upset by how stupid he’d been pushing into this family — these people that were just so nice and welcoming and that didn’t deserve what would happen when the lie came out. It was going to hurt them — genuinely nice people like they seemed to be, they would be hurt by it all. There was just no way around that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, Josh has made it onto the fic and he knows. I really wanted someone outside of the 118 to know and maybe even have a different perspective on Andrew. 
> 
> Let me know what you all thought. :)
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/616676726230188032/im-with-you-5) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt a bit like filler to me but there’s still some fun bits in it. Enjoy.

Eddie took his parents straight to the hospital when they arrived early the next day. He could tell right away that his mom was freaking out and worried. His dad had always been better at hiding his feelings but even then Eddie could tell that he was tense. Eddie was glad that he wasn’t the one that had been tasked with calling them. Pepa had done that. 

“He’s fine, mom,” Eddie said as they walked to the room. “He’ll be fine.” 

Neither of his parents responded. 

When they got to the room, his mom leaned over Andrew, kissing his cheeks and forehead. Eddie thought he heard her let out a sob. His dad walked over and placed a hand on his mom’s back. Eddie hung back just watching them as his mom sat down and his dad pulled up another chair to sit at her side.

“What happened exactly?” his dad asked suddenly, looking right at Eddie. 

Eddie had no idea how much Pepa had managed to tell them. He just knew that they didn’t know anything about Buck. 

“He was knocked over by someone on a bike while he was getting coffee. He hit his head when he fell and he would have been run over by a car except that Buck saved him. Pulled him out of the way and called 9-1-1.” 

“Who’s Buck?” his dad asked.

His mom sobbed. “My poor boy.” 

“Buck is—” Eddie trailed off. He still didn’t fully believe it. “He’s Andrew’s boyfriend.” 

The way that his parents looked at him was how Eddie had first felt when he was told about Buck. Had the circumstances been different, he might have laughed. 

“Boyfriend,” his mom said.

“I know,” Eddie said. “I know it’s...unexpected. But he’s a good guy and none of us knew about him before the accident.”

“So it’s new,” his dad said. 

Eddie was well aware that his father struggled a little with understanding sexuality. He’d actually come a long way since Eddie came out as bisexual back when he was in his teens. But still, he could see confusion in his eyes like the idea that two of his sons being interested in more than one gender was a strange one to him. He’d had time to get used to Eddie being bi and even then it hadn’t really mattered after he met Shannon and got married and had Christopher. 

“Well none of that matters,” his mom said. “I just want him to wake up and be okay no matter what he hasn’t told us. Right, Ramon?’

“Right.” 

“My poor boy,” his mom said. 

Eddie figured that any reservations would evaporate once they did meet Buck because everyone seemed to just fall for Buck’s charm. Eddie couldn’t really blame them. 

When it was time to go pick up Christopher from school, Eddie left to get him with his dad while his mom stayed behind at the hospital. 

“Y como estas tu, hijo?” his dad asked as they drove. 

[“And how are you, son?”]

“Estoy bien. Me and Christopher, we’re doing fine. He’s happy here, you know. He has friends and his school is good. Took me a while to figure all of that out but Andrew helped — surprisingly. But we’re good.” 

[“I’m fine…”]

“I think a father always worries,” his dad said. “Your mom and I just want you to be happy and after all that nonsense with Shannon—”

Eddie let out a sigh. “Things weren’t good but I guess it worked out in the end, dad,” Eddie said. 

“I know they did,” his dad said. “She still hurt you and Christopher and it would have all been avoided if—”

“If I stayed in Texas,” Eddie finished for him with a sigh. “So that we could have been there waiting for her to never return? I wasn’t happy there, Dad. I needed to move on and LA has been good to me. Christopher too.”

“I know, son,” Ramon said. 

Driving in LA meant always hitting some sort of traffic at any given time of day. It had been one of those things that Eddie had to get used to when he first moved. He didn’t really get frustrated over it any more, he just made sure to check the traffic before he went anywhere. It was practically a habit. 

“So, your brother,” his dad said eventually. “He’ll be okay?”

“The doctors think so,” Eddie said. “They think he’ll wake up any day now. The swelling’s been going down.” 

“Good. That’s good. We were worried when we got that call from Pepa. The two of you being firefighters and so far away—” his dad trailed off. 

“We look out for each other,” Eddie said. 

Christopher was glad to see his grandfather. He ran as fast as he could go with his crutches until he was in front of him. 

“Abuelo,” he cried and Eddie watched them hug. “You’re here.” 

Eddie had just enough time to take his dad and Christopher back to the hospital before he had to head to work. Christopher was happy to spend the rest of the day and night with his grandparents and Eddie walked them both to the hospital room as he ordered an uber to pick him up. He had to cancel the uber a second later when he found Chimney in the hospital room with his mom and willing to take him to work. 

So Eddie hugged his parents and Christopher goodbye and left with Chimney. 

“You could have told me you were coming by,” Eddie said. 

“I didn’t know that I was,” Chim said with a shrug. “Anyway, I think we have enough time to pick up coffee. You know, your brother’s been spoiling us. Last shift, I missed the coffee from Coffee Time.” 

Eddie rolled his eyes but he knew that Chim was right so he didn’t protest as Chimney took them on a detour and then he followed him inside the coffee shop. It wasn’t until they were inside that he remembered about Buck working there. Buck was there behind the counter passing a drink over to a boy and his mother, making small talk with the kid. 

There was a small line that he and Chim joined but it moved quickly as people placed their orders. Buck didn’t even notice they were there as he worked and it gave Eddie time to watch him unnoticed. 

Buck wore a dark red apron over his clothes. A matching hat sat on his head turned backwards and his bright blue eyes were fixed on the drinks that he was mixing and putting together but he must have been doing everything with muscle memory because he and the girl at the counter kept a stream of conversation between customers. Eddie and Chim were too far away to overhear what they might be saying, but Buck was smiling. 

“Hi,” Chim said once they got up to the front. “Can I — hey, Buck.” 

Buck turned and his eyes widened when he saw them. “Oh — what are you guys doing here?” 

“Missing the coffee. Any way you can hook us up with Andrew’s usual order,” Chimney said. “Minus his coffee of course since he’s—” Chimney trailed off. 

Buck’s surprise didn’t wear off and the girl from the counter was staring at both of them and then back at Buck until she cleared her throat and Buck visibly gulped.

“Right,” Buck said, “this is Chimney and Eddie. They work with Andrew. Well, Eddie’s also his brother.” 

“Oh,” she said. 

“And guys, this is my co-worker Ali.” 

Eddie gave her a nod and she smiled back at them. “Hi.” 

“I — I’ll get on that order, then,” Buck said. 

“He seem a bit jumpy to you?” Eddie asked, watching him as he moved around with a little bit less finesse than before. 

Chimney shook his head and then Eddie saw him pull out his phone. He turned in a way that meant Eddie couldn’t see his screen but Eddie was distracted by watching Buck work and he was surprised when Buck actually took out his phone as he worked. He lost some of the tension on his shoulders after glancing at his phone and then a few minutes later he had their order ready. 

“How much?” Eddie asked because Chimney hadn’t. 

“Don’t worry about it. On the house today,” Buck said with a grin. 

—-

Buck woke up that morning to sun streaming in through his window and hitting him in a way that meant that he wasn’t going to be getting any more sleep. Glancing at his phone told him that it was just sunrise and that he had a number of texts. First he clicked on the messages Pepa had sent. 

**I hope you’re having a good morning, Buck.**  
**I was hoping to extend an invitation for dinner tonight. Andrew’s parents are visiting.**  
**I know the circumstances are hard and you should have had the option of meeting them at a different time but they wish to meet and thank you.**  
**If not tonight another night can work as well. Let me know. They will be here for the duration of the week. Maybe longer depending.**

Andrew’s parents were in town. Buck dropped his phone on his chest and he didn’t move for a long moment even though he knew that he needed to if he planned to get to work on time. It was just that this was bringing in a whole new element to the problem. Andrew’s parents. Buck couldn’t lie to his parents.

“You already lied to everyone else,” Buck reminded himself. 

Pepa had probably already told them about him. She’d lied for him. 

Buck groaned. He rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. Maybe he could just stay right where he was and not answer anyone at all. His phone vibrated on the bed next to him and Buck had almost forgotten that he’d woken up to more than just Pepa’s messages. That usually wasn’t the case for him. 

**Hey, dude!**  
**Last night was fun. The headache today not so much.**  
**Good luck with the lies. 😆**  
**Oh...this is Josh btw**

Buck just shook his head. He didn’t even remember giving Josh his phone number but he didn’t mind. Josh wasn’t a bad guy and Buck appreciated having someone else know the truth especially since Josh found the whole thing hilarious. 

Next came messages from Chimney. 

**Heads up: Andrew’s parents are arriving today.**  
**What are you going to do?**

“I don’t know, Chimney, I don’t know,” Buck muttered to himself. 

**Sending you good vibes, Buck. - Hen**

Buck couldn’t help but smile at that. He really did like Hen. He didn’t want to lose her. And yet he would — that was just...it was the inevitable. It hurt him, thinking about it. 

The last messages were from another unknown number. 

**Hi, Buck.**  
**It’s Athena.**  
**Just wanted to give you an update.**  
**Andrew seems to be doing well. The doctors think he can wake up any day now.**  
**Hope you’re doing well.**

Buck let out a sigh. They just all made it harder and harder to not get attached and to not want to keep them. He just had to remind himself that he couldn’t and not because he didn’t want to but because his lie would destroy everything. 

He didn’t bother to actually answer anyone mostly because he felt strange doing so and continuing to lie, but because he was also running late. He was lucky, he hadn’t been scheduled to open. By the time he made it to Coffee Time, Ali already had the place ready. She and Todd, one of the other baristas, were already dealing with the morning rush and when Buck clocked in and threw on his apron he went right to work alongside them. 

It wasn’t until things quieted down some that Buck got to talk to Ali. He showed her all the texts from the morning. 

“And you haven’t answered any of them? Buck, that’s so rude.”

“So is lying to everyone,” Buck said and he tried not to be too snappy. 

Ali pat him on the back. “Hey, you got yourself into this. Maybe if you told the truth—”

“How can I? How can I just tell them I’ve been lying this entire time...how do you just come clean from that?”

Ali rolled her eyes at him. “One way or another the truth will come out and you’ll have to deal with it when it does.”

A customer approached so she turned away from him to take their order and Buck just let out a sigh. Todd was filling the order so it gave Buck some time to pull out his phone and start answering everyone. 

To Pepa he was reluctant to say no even if the idea of meeting Andrew’s parents was daunting. He sent both Hen and Athena his thanks and then to Josh he just sent a thumbs up emoji. 

**I’m supposed to have dinner with them and the rest of the family.**  
**What the hell am I supposed to do.**  
**Thanks for the warning.**

That he sent off to Chimney. 

When it was just him and Ali after Todd had gone, Buck spoke about the whole thing more freely. He told Ali about Josh and how much Buck had no idea what to make of the guy. 

“And that one is definitely gay,” Ali said.

Buck laughed at that. “Yes...so in all of this I did find a gay man. And no, I’m not interested in him.” 

“It’s always been that with you,” Ali pointed out. “You’ve been in this funk ever since Abby and one thing I will say about all of this — the last few days, you’ve been happier. Stressed out, but happier.” 

“I want to tell them,” Buck said and that was the truth. He did want to tell them. He just didn’t know how and it had been days since the whole thing started that bringing it up now would just make him look like nothing more than an asshole. But maybe that was the answer, maybe he had to be the bad guy and just never see any of them again. 

When he said all that to Ali, she gave him a pitying look. “Maybe they’ll surprise you,” she said. 

“Or maybe I just wait for Andrew to wake up and see where this all takes me.” 

Buck was surprised later when he heard Chim’s voice. “Hi,” Chim said to Ali “Can I — hey, Buck.” 

Buck looked at him and was even more surprised to see Eddie next to Chimney. “Oh — what are you doing here?” 

Eddie’s lips quirked up in an amused manner. Chim gave no explanation. “Missing the coffee. Anyway you can hook us up with Andrew’s usual order,” Chimney said. “Minus his coffee of course since he’s—”

Buck could feel Ali’s eyes on him. She was flicking between him and the others and Buck could see that she was trying to figure out who they were exactly. 

“Right,” Buck said, “this is Chimney and Eddie. They work with Andrew. Well, Eddie’s also his brother.” 

“Oh,” Ali said and Buck knew her well enough to know that she was remembering how Buck had called Eddie the hot brother. Buck really needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut. 

“And guys, this is my co-worker Ali,” Buck said. 

Eddie gave her a nod and she smiled back at them. “Hi.” 

“I — I’ll get on that order, then,” Buck said and immediately realized that he had no idea which of the coffees on the order was Andrew’s. He started making the full order anyway. 

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and even though he usually didn’t check his phone while filling an order, he was hoping that Chimney had realized his mistake and sure enough Chimney sent him a list of the drinks he needed to make. 

“How much?” Eddie asked when Buck had put the cups on a tray to carry out. Eddie was already reaching for his wallet but Buck shook his head at him. 

“Don’t worry about it. On the house today,” Buck said with a grin. 

“Thanks,” Eddie said and he lingered as Chimney grabbed the drinks. 

“I guess there’s perks to this,” Chimney said. 

“Uh, Buck, did Pepa invite you to dinner tonight? With my parents, I mean.”

Buck was surprised to hear it from Eddie but Buck nodded. “Yeah. She texted me this morning. I said I’d go.”

Eddie nodded. “Oh. Okay. I know it’s going to be awkward and all and I’m sorry about them ambushing you.”

“Eddie, come on, we gotta go,” Chimney said and he was already halfway to the door.

“Thanks again, Buck,” Eddie said and then he turned and followed Chimney. 

Ali waited until Chim and Eddie had gone outside and even after Eddie had looked back at them through the glass window to wave before she turned to look directly at Buck. They were lucky there were no other customers around. 

“So that’s the hot brother,” Ali said. “You were not kidding. And the other guy, he knows about the whole lie thing, right?”

Buck could only nod. 

“Buck, this is really messed up.”

Buck groaned. “Tell me about it.” 

—-

“What was that about?” Chim asked as they made it back to Chim’s car.

“What?” Eddie asked. 

“Are you still suspicious of Buck?” Chim asked. “Or is it that you like him now? Because I couldn’t really tell what that was.” 

It was that Eddie liked him. He liked him too much, was drawn in by how downright cute and hot Buck was and the paranoid part of him was a whole other thing and all of it was just a confusing mess in his head. 

“I still don’t think Andrew is anything but straight,” Eddie answered as Chimney finally got them on the road and on the way to the station. 

Due to his work shift, Eddie was actually going to miss the dinner that Pepa had planned for his parents and abuela. It was a bit of a relief, but then he also did feel for Buck a little and he kind of wished that he could be there to keep him from being drowned by questions. 

“And so what do you think is happening?” Chimney asked after a moment. They were stopped at a red light and he looked towards him. 

“I don’t know,” Eddie admitted. “I just — why would Buck lie? That’s where I’m stuck because he’s just...he’s like a golden retriever, okay, and I just don’t see what the point would be. I really don’t.”

He looked away from Chimney, keeping his eyes fixed on the street in front of them. 

“I really don’t know, Ed. But Buck’s a good guy.”

On that, Eddie could agree and that was exactly the problem because if Buck was as good as he seemed, then it didn’t seem fair to not believe him. It was the Andrew of it all that didn’t make any sense. Or maybe Buck was lying and he was so good at it, that they just couldn’t see it. 

Getting to the station and into his uniform put Eddie in a different state of mind. Bobby and Hen were already there hanging out in the kitchen so after changing he and Chim went up to join them. Things had been a bit different since Andrew’s accident, his absence was felt by all of them. Andrew had been a part of the 118 before Eddie moved to LA and joined the LAFD and so it was strange to not have him be there where he belonged. 

“I brought drinks,” Chimney announced. 

“Figured you’d take over for Andrew,” Hen said as she grabbed hers. “Was Buck there?” 

Eddie nodded as he sat down. “He’s going to dinner at my aunt’s house tonight with my parents.” 

“That’s gotta be rough on him,” Bobby said. 

“It’ll be rough on all of them, Cap,” Eddie said because as well meaning as his parents could be, they were already dealing with Andrew being in a coma and might not deal well with meeting a guy that claimed to be their straight son’s boyfriend. Or they would just love Buck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The parents are in town! I originally didn’t plan on having them show up but then it makes a lot of sense for them to come running when their son is in a coma and we’ll see some more of them in the next chapter. Let me know what you all thought. :)
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/617313335899291648/im-with-you-6) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	7. Chapter 7

“So, how was it?” Eddie asked.

Buck jumped when he heard his voice and then he turned to look at him. Eddie was standing at the door. 

“Sorry,” Eddie said. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

Buck shrugged at him. “I was daydreaming a bit. It gets kinda boring talking to someone that can’t talk back.”

Eddie walked around to sit at Andrew’s other side and he sat down. “And how was it last night?” 

“It was okay. Better than I expected, I guess. I liked your parents a lot.”

It had been better than Buck expected. He still had to keep up the lie, but other than that problem, it had been fine. Ramon and Helena had been just as nice as Pepa and Isabel and just like the rest of the family a bit surprised about Andrew having a boyfriend but surprisingly welcoming. They hadn’t even asked too many questions. Although, Buck did have to admit that Christopher took a lot of the attention off of him by being adorable. All in all, he’d had a good time, and the guilt about the lying hadn’t hit him until he was getting back to his house. 

“That’s good,” Eddie said and he did genuinely look relieved. 

“Were you worried about it?” Buck asked, curious because he hadn’t expected that. 

Eddie didn’t meet his eyes. Instead he was looking at Andrew again. “I — I didn’t know how well my parents would take finding out about you. And, look, I’m sorry but it was — it still is a bit of a surprise.” 

Eddie looked at him finally and Buck didn’t know what to say because there was nothing about that that could offend him because he was a liar and Eddie really did have every right to question him. 

“Which...Buck, you have to get where I’m coming from,” Eddie said. 

Buck hadn’t expected Eddie to push more than he had already. 

“I do,” Buck said. “But I am...I am his boyfriend. I—” Buck couldn’t say it. He couldn’t get himself to say ‘I love him’ when he didn’t know if that was true and when he definitely knew that Andrew didn’t love him and wouldn’t. Andrew didn’t even know who he was. 

“I know you are,” Eddie said. 

That was when Ramon and Helena arrived. Helena had a bandage of her arm but she was smiling. 

“That didn’t take long,” Eddie said 

“Just went to give blood,” Helena said to Buck. “The hospital suggested it would be a good idea. So Ramon and I went. It didn’t take too long.” 

Buck nodded and then looked towards Eddie. “And were you too scared of needles?” he asked.

Eddie chuckled and shook his head. “I can’t,” Eddie said. 

“I can’t fathom why that’s still a rule,” Ramon said with a shake of his head. “It’s discriminatory and wrong.” 

It took Buck a moment to catch on, but then he did and he gasped. “You’re—”

“Bi,” Eddie said. “Kind of why it was a shock when you showed up,” Eddie said and he looked like he was finding the whole conversation amusing. 

To Buck, it felt like being thrown into an ice cold pool and expected to just keep swimming without any reaction to the cold. Eddie was bisexual. Suddenly it made some sort of sense that Eddie had been skeptical from the first when it came to his brother being suddenly interested in men. It was because Eddie was the bi one.

“Andrew didn’t tell me his brother was bi,” Buck said eventually and then remembered that Eddie and Andrew’s parents were there. 

Eddie had given up his seat for his mom and moved to the foot of the bed. “Andrew doesn’t tell anyone much, does he?” 

Buck only nodded and then he looked back at Andrew. He was still attracted to Andrew because nothing had changed about his appearance, but that attraction had faded some in knowing that being with him was very much unattainable. 

“I hope you’re taking care of yourself, Buck,” Helena said, shaking Buck from his thoughts. “I know all of this is very hard.” 

“I’m okay,” Buck said. 

He really wasn’t. He was having some sort of existential crisis and it was all his doing because he was kinda sorta an idiot. And when it was all over and he was left on his own again, it would be his fault then too. 

“You know, when these two were boys,” Ramon said, “they used to get up to all kinds of mischief.” 

“Did they?” Buck asked. 

Eddie groaned. “Papa, please don’t.” 

“Why, mijo. That’s part of all the fun of meeting a boyfriend.” 

“Yes, but somehow, I don’t know why you have to include me in all of this,” Eddie said. 

Buck raised an eyebrow at him and then looked back at Ramon. “I would love to hear any stories you want to tell me.”

Eddie groaned again. He pulled up a chair and sat down, closing his eyes and then when he opened them again he grabbed his phone and focused on the screen. 

“Andrew is the younger but he always wanted to do whatever Eddie was doing,” Helena said. “Followed him around to Eddie’s frustration. Used to steal his toys.”

“And break them,” Eddie added. 

Buck turned to look at Eddie who barely glanced at him before his eyes were back on his phone. 

“Sometimes, yes,” Ramon said. “But he was always a good boy. He was meant to be a first responder. He always wanted to help people. When Andrew was fifteen he saved someone from a fire. One of the neighbors on our street. Eddie, you were friends with their daughter, weren’t you?” 

“What?” Eddie asked. 

“The girl that lived across the street. Your friend?” 

“Oh...Liz Martinez?” 

“Yes, that’s the one. Anyway, it was her mother that Andrew saved,” Ramon said. “He just ran right into that house before the firefighters had even arrived and he got Mrs. Martinez out.”

“Wow,” Buck said and his eyes were back on Andrew. When he looked at Eddie, he didn’t know what to make of the look in his eyes. “Is that what — what made him want to be a firefighter?” 

“I think so,” Helena said. 

The thing about being at the hospital was that it was a bit depressing. It also reminded Buck of all the lies. With Andrew’s family there, Buck felt both better and worse. He wasn’t alone in the room with Andrew feeling guilty about not belonging there because with Andrew’s family, it almost felt like he did. He just wished that the whole thing was real. Not even the Andrew aspect of it, but his family. 

“He was in the newspaper for that,” Ramon said and there was pride in his voice. 

Helena told stories about Andrew growing up. How he loved sweets and often tried to hide them all over his room when he was kid and how when he was a teenager he’d snuck out of the house late at night often enough that his parents had given up on trying to stop him. 

“He never got into any trouble over it,” Helena offered. 

“And Eddie, he ever sneak out?” Buck asked.

Helena actually laughed at that. “No, Eddie would have never. He wasn’t rebellious at all.”

Buck looked towards Eddie who actually did look like he was busy on his phone. Or he wasn’t reacting to the conversation and listening. Buck couldn’t really tell. 

Learning about Andrew made Andrew all that much more appealing. His parents painted a good picture and yet everything they told him was about the past. About Andrew as he was a child or when he was growing up and nothing about the man that he’d become. And maybe it was that they didn’t know the adult version of their son well enough. It was still nice hearing stories about Eddie and Andrew as kids. 

“They tried to bake a cake once for mother’s day,” Ramon said. “The one time they decided to team up.”

“And they wouldn’t let their sisters help,” Helena said, shaking her head fondly. 

Eddie looked up. “It wasn’t their idea.” 

“It didn’t go well,” Ramon said. “It wasn’t edible.” 

“And it left me a very messy kitchen,” Helena said. 

“The boys did clean it up,” Ramon said. 

“Not very well,” Helena added. 

Buck also got to hear about Eddie falling out of a tree and breaking his arm and how Andrew had been the one to call 9-1-1. Eddie made a sort of scoffing noise at that story but didn’t add anything to contradict what happened. 

“Andrew annoyed him the entire time he was in a cast,” Ramon said. “Trying to help. You were what, fourteen or fifteen?” 

“Fifteen,” Eddie said. 

“And why were you up a tree?” Buck asked curiously. 

“I was...there was a frisbee stuck up there,” Eddie said. 

There were other stories. Ones that were silly and that made Buck wish that he’d had as good a childhood as Eddie and Andrew had had. 

Eventually, Eddie stood up. “I have to get going,” he said. 

“Do you want me to drop you off?” Ramon asked. 

Eddie shook his head. “I’ll get an uber. Abuela and Pepa said they were picking up Christopher from school so you don’t have to worry about that. But I’ll go before I’m late.” 

“Or I can take you,” Buck said. “I — I should get going too. I’ve been here all morning.” 

He didn’t know why he offered other than that he didn’t think he wanted to stay in that hospital room with Andrew’s parents. Eddie looked like he didn’t know if he should take the offer or not, but then Buck stood up and walked towards him and nudged him. 

“Thank you for all the stories,” Buck said to Ramon and Helena.

The two of them smiled at him and Ramon waved them off. Buck followed Eddie out of the hospital room. 

“They really do like you,” Eddie said. 

“Oh. I’m glad,” Buck said.

It wasn’t until they had made it out to Buck’s Jeep, that Buck had built up enough courage to speak to Eddie and ask. 

“So, why didn’t you tell me you were bi? Sorry, that’s rude. I just mean, it kinda makes sense why you were surprised about me and Andrew now.” 

Eddie shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly, I figured you already knew.” 

“Andrew clearly doesn’t talk about things with anyone,” Buck said and he felt dirty saying it because he was just adding on to the lie and he hated it.

“I guess you could say that,” Eddie said. 

Buck had gotten them out of the parking lot when Buck remembered that there was something else he wanted cleared up. 

“So, that time you fell out of a tree? What really happened?” 

Eddie didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he kept his attention out the window and then Buck felt his eyes on him. 

“I guess there’s no harm in telling you,” Eddie said eventually. “Andrew was sort of the reason it all happened in the first place. He got the frisbee stuck up the tree on purpose and if it hadn’t been mine I wouldn’t have even bothered to get it. Then he was the reason that I fell. He distracted me and he kept shaking the tree a bit and I slipped and fell. So even though my parents want to think that he was some sort of hero that day by taking care of me, it’s his fault it happened in the first place.”

Buck wasn’t too surprised. He’d grown up being the annoying little brother so he got that aspect of having a sibling. 

“It was easier to just let him be the hero,” Eddie said. “I was older and anyway, I was on pain meds for a while. Made me less angry at him.”

Buck laughed at that. He followed Eddie’s directions for where he was going. 

“I think your parents just wanted me to hear nice stories about him — nothing too embarrassing. And what about the fire? Did that really happen?” 

“Yeah, that did. He saved the neighbor. It was — nobody would stop talking about it. I wasn’t too surprised when he decided he wanted to actually be a firefighter. My mom might say she’s proud of his choice, but she wasn’t happy back then. Tried to stop him multiple times.” 

“And somehow she wound up with two of her sons as firefighters,” Buck said. 

He took the next turn as Eddie directed him. 

“I was in the Army first,” Eddie said. “Can’t blame her for wanting to keep at least one of her sons out of harm's way. I think by the end of it they were just glad he wasn’t in the Army with me.” 

Buck had a lot of questions. He wanted to know more about how Eddie had wound up being a firefighter and how he and his brother had even come to be in LA when their parents were from Texas. He wanted to know more about where Christopher fit into that picture as well as Christopher’s mother. 

He settled for saying, “you were in the Army?” 

Eddie nodded. “Afghanistan.” 

“I was almost in the Navy,” Buck said. “Well, the Seals, I should say. It didn’t work out in the end.”

Buck didn’t really like to talk about the time in his life when he’d wanted nothing more than to be a Navy Seal. How he’d trained and had made it far enough to realize that the dehumanizing aspect of it wasn’t for him. The whole turning off the part of him that cared, to be ruthless and single-minded and follow orders. None of it had been for him or what he’d expected it to be. Buck didn’t often think about it and hadn’t for a long time. 

“It wasn’t for me,” Buck said with a shrug and he was glad when Eddie didn’t pry. 

Instead, they were both silent for a while before Eddie asked about Legolas.

“I was thinking about bringing Chris by tomorrow,” Eddie said. 

“He’ll like that,” Buck said. “I, um, I have to say that having him around last night really gave me a good buffer with your parents. Made it easier.” 

Eddie chuckled. “Good,” he said. 

When Buck pulled up to the station it was just in time to see Hen arriving and before Eddie could even get out of the car, she was motioning for him to get out too and he couldn’t say no. So he parked and the two of them got out and Buck wasn’t expecting for Hen to pull him into a hug. But it was nice to hug her and to know that it was so genuine and caring. 

“Come on, you should join us,” Hen said. “Cap is making lunch and I’m sure he won’t mind if you hang around.” 

“Uh...sure,” Buck said and he followed her inside. Eddie came up behind him. 

Buck had never been to a fire station before and as he walked in, he took it in almost like a child would. The firetrucks and the ambulance that stood at the ready in all their glory were more impressive than anything. 

“You want to see them up close, don’t you?” Eddie asked. 

“I — yeah, maybe.” 

Eddie chuckled. “I’ll show you if we have time.” 

Hen took him past the trucks and then towards some stairs. Buck noticed that Eddie didn’t join them, going off on his own likely to get changed. Hen just took him up. 

“Look who’s stopping by today, Cap,” Hen said. 

Bobby was in what appeared to be a kitchen, but he looked up and he smiled when he saw Buck. 

“Oh. Well, you’re more than welcome to join us for lunch, Buck.” 

“If it isn’t any trouble. I don’t want—”

Bobby motioned him over, smiling. “I don’t mind.” 

Buck moved across the space, past a long rectangular table to the kitchen. There were a few other firefighters sitting where some sofas had been placed and the ones that looked over just nodded at him. 

“I’ll be back. Gotta get changed,” Hen said and disappeared down the stairs. 

“How are you doing, Buck?” Bobby asked. 

“I’m okay. Just waiting for him to wake up, I guess.” And waiting for everything to be over and for his life to get back to normal. 

“We all are,” Bobby said. “But he will.”

“I know,” Buck said. 

He sat down on one of the stools and watched as Bobby moved around the kitchen, putting a salad together. 

“Is this how it is at every firehouse? The captain cooking for everyone?” 

“There’s a lot of trust that needs to be in place among firefighters — among any first responders. We’re like family and eating together is a way to make that real. Not every firehouse is like this and in most places everyone takes turns cooking. I like to cook. It’s a stress reliever for me and I wouldn’t say I trust any of my crew to not give all of us food poisoning.” 

Buck laughed at that. 

“He’s talking about Andrew and Eddie,” Chimney said, dropping his hand onto Buck’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

“Hey,” Buck said. 

“Those boys are a fire hazard in their own kitchens,” Hen added and she took the stool next to Buck. 

Buck laughed. “Good to know.” 

By the time that Eddie had made it upstairs, they had moved over to the table and Buck found himself sitting between Hen and Chimney. Eddie sat across from him and all of it just felt natural and nice. They all included him, even the other firefighters that Buck was introduced to on the spot. 

“You know,” Hen said halfway through the meal, “this is the first time in a while that a call hasn’t interrupted our lunch.” 

“And now you’ve cursed us and it’s going to happen,” Chimney said. 

But a call didn’t come and they all just laughed. Bobby told Buck about how they were all ready to go for any call that came no matter what they were doing. It was the nature of the job. 

“We’ve lost many a meal that way,” Chimney said.

“Everything Bobby cooks heats up well afterwards,” Eddie said with a roll of his eyes. 

There was a lot going on around the station even when there were no calls and after lunch was over everyone started on their duties. For Hen that meant cleaning up after lunch, Chimney was checking on the stock of supplies in the ambulance, and while Bobby disappeared to do paperwork, Eddie led Buck down to look at the firetrucks. 

“They’re kinda intimidating and impressive all at once,” Eddie said. “I mean, growing up you dream of being a firefighter, right?”

“Yeah,” Buck said. 

He felt a little like a kid allowed to do whatever he wanted in a candy shop when Eddie opened the door to one of the trucks and showed him what it looked like inside. And when Buck asked, Eddie let him go in too. Strangely, it felt like being where he belonged but Buck had no idea why. He got out and Eddie showed him all the things that a firetruck carried. 

“I’m — this is amazing,” Buck said. 

“It should be Andrew showing all of this off to you,” Eddie said.

Buck was ashamed to admit even to himself that he’d forgotten all about Andrew. 

—-

Having Buck around was different. 

Eddie hadn’t expected for Buck to stick around after they arrived at the station, but he didn’t mind that he had. Buck was just excitable and he got along with everyone, fitting right in and talking to everyone around him like it wasn’t his first time at that table. Eddie could tell that Bobby liked him. Hen already seemed to have a soft spot for him and Chimney seemed intent on including Buck. 

It didn’t hit Eddie until he’d showed Buck all the interesting parts about the firetrucks that it should have been his brother showing off his job to Buck and bringing him over to the station for lunch. It felt just a little like overstepping but Buck didn’t seem to even realize that, instead he looked adorable as he looked around. After the firetrucks, Eddie expected Buck to leave but he didn’t so Eddie gave him a tour of the whole fire station.

“I’ve only ever had to call 9-1-1 once in my life other than the accident with Andrew,” Buck said eventually. “And all these people came out to respond on the call. It was crazy but impressive. It was a car accident, nothing to do with me but I saw it and it’s just...there’s a lot to be said about there always being people ready to run in and help.” 

Hearing Buck talk about it like that made Eddie feel warm all over. He knew there was a nobility to his job — a reason why first responders were lauded as heroes. That wasn’t why Eddie had joined the LAFD. It had been more to do with brother already being a part of it and Eddie needing some way to cope after Afghanistan and after returning home and having his wife just pick up and leave. Being a firefighter was an adrenaline rush, it was an escape and something that Eddie needed to feel sane and feel like himself. It didn’t hurt that it meant he was helping people. 

“Anyway,” Buck said with a cough. “I should go. It was — thanks for showing me around.”

“It was fun,” Eddie said. “And thanks again for the ride.” 

Buck gave him a nod and Eddie watched him walk away and he knew that he had a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the US (I’m not sure about other countries), men who have had sex with other men are not allowed to donate blood unfortunately. The movie has a plot point about the main character giving blood so I wanted to throw a bit of a reference at that even if the situation is completely different. Really this fic is turning out kinda different than the movie in a lot of ways. 
> 
> Let me know what you all thought of this chapter and I hope everyone enjoys the S3 finale tonight. 
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/617837439370788864/im-with-you-7) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at this, two chapers in one week. This just means I’ve been doing well on the writing front. And lots of Buck and Eddie in this chapter...and this is also the chapter that Legolas snuck his way into. That dog just likes the attention. Enjoy.

Twenty four hour shifts were sometimes the hardest on Eddie mostly because they meant that he was away from his son for the night. It was a part of the job, though, and when he needed to work such a long shift, Christopher was usually with Abuela. This time, he was with Eddie’s parents. He still called when it was around Christopher’s bed time to say goodnight and catch up with his son and it was a little different with his parents hovering around Chris. He didn’t talk to Christopher again until the next day while his son was having breakfast before heading off to school. 

It was just around when he was finishing up talking to Christopher that the alarm started going and he had to rush down to join the others at the ladder truck. It was Chimney that pointed out that the call was near Andrew’s place. 

“Better not be his place,” Eddie muttered back. 

It wasn’t, the call was to a house down the street from Andrew’s, but as they approached, Eddie spotted a familiar dog barking and Eddie felt his chest tighten because there was only one person that could have Legolas outside and Eddie didn’t see Buck anywhere. Just the dog. 

“That’s...I know that dog,” Eddie said as the truck came to a stop and they were all jumping off. 

Eddie tried not to panic. He didn’t even know why he was so panicked in the first place. 

“You know the dog,” Chimney said. 

“It’s — he’s Andrew’s.” 

Legolas was barking still and his leash was attached to a low hanging branch on a tree but it was right by the stairs going up to the house that he spotted Buck, giving a woman chest compressions. There was another man standing off to the side on the phone probably with dispatch. Hen and Chim headed straight for Buck and Eddie moved to get the backboard to them. Legolas was still barking a bit. 

When Eddie had made it to where the woman was, Buck had already stood back and out of the way. 

“Was walking Legolas and she just collapsed,” Buck said. He was out of breath. “I just...I’m CPR certified, you know, so I had to jump in.” 

He didn’t have to jump in. Actually, most people wouldn’t. But of course, Buck would. That was just who he was. 

Eddie didn’t have time to talk, not when Hen motioned for him to bring the backboard and help move the woman onto it. He lost himself to the work, getting the woman onto the backboard with Hen and Chim and then up on the stretcher. When he passed by Buck again, he saw that Buck was talking to Bobby. 

—-

Buck hadn’t actually planned to stop by to check up on Legolas, but he figured it was better to do that than hang out at the hospital with Andrew and possibly Andrew’s parents as well. Either way the dog needed food and a walk and Buck was getting attached to this dog in the worst way. So he went and fed Legolas and then they went out and Buck took him on a walk around the block. It wasn’t until he was heading back to the house that he spotted one of Andrew’s neighbors. It looked like she was in the middle of working on her garden and Buck was a bit distracted by Legolas trying to chase a squirrel when he heard her cry out and then when he turned she was on the ground. 

Buck had managed to find a way to get Legolas attached to the tree first and then he ran to her side, yelling for help. 

He had dropped down to her side and felt for a pulse by the time that the next door neighbor came out. 

“Call 9-1-1,” Buck instructed.

Her heart wasn’t beating and she wasn’t breathing so Buck just fell back into what he knew about CPR. The whole tilting the head back to try and breathe air into her lungs and placing his hands one over the other and pushing at her chest hoping that everything he did would help and make a difference. 

The man that was standing off to the side told him help was coming. Buck kept up the compressions. In the background he could hear Legolas barking. The man was talking on the phone and he could see other people had come out and then he heard the sirens and the sirens made him feel better. Help was coming. Someone would help her. 

Buck almost didn’t even realize that it was the 118 responding to the call until after he stepped back and saw that it was Hen and Chim that had gotten him out of the way and it was Eddie coming with the backboard. And then he saw Bobby. 

“Buck,” Bobby said. “What happened?” 

He’d muttered it to Eddie earlier but he repeated it to Bobby, explained that he’d been walking a dog and seen her go down. 

“Well, kid, you did good. Not everyone just jumps in to help. Most people just wait for help to arrive.” 

“I had to,” Buck said. “I had to.”

Bobby grabbed his arm and Buck looked straight at him and he didn’t expect for Bobby to look at him with something akin to pride. 

“Buck, have you ever considered being a firefighter?” Bobby asked. 

Buck hadn’t expected that question at all. In fact, being a firefighter...it wasn’t something that he would have ever considered an option. It was strange and far away like something entirely out of a dream. 

“I — I’ve never—”

“Well, you should,” Bobby said. “You told me that you’ve been trying to figure out what you want to do and I can tell you that for most people this would have had them stopping to call 9-1-1, not trying to help. And you did the same for Andrew so this is not an isolated event. Just think on it, Buck.”

Buck didn’t really know what to say. He was still feeling the shock. Legolas was still barking and it was that which made Buck move. He grabbed the leash and Legolas jumped at his legs and when Bobby followed him, he jumped at Bobby too. 

Bobby pet him and looked to Buck. “Think about it, Buck.”

Buck could only nod. He watched as the ambulance was loaded up and then it was gone. He was surprised to see Eddie and Hen still there because somehow he’d expected them to go. Eddie had gone down to his knees in front of Legolas, petting him and letting him lick at his face. 

“Good work, Buck,” Hen said. 

They didn’t hang around much longer, but Hen gave Buck a side-hug and Bobby nodded at him. Eddie grasped his shoulder and gave it a squeeze and then they were getting back into the truck and they were gone with a last wave from Eddie from inside the truck. 

“Well, then,” Buck said. 

“Are you a first responder?” the neighbor that had called 9-1-1 asked. 

Buck shook his head. “No...I’m just friends with some of them.”

He left before anyone else could ask any more questions, walking towards Andrew’s house and around to the backyard. Buck hung out with Legolas for a little while longer before finally leaving and heading to the hospital. 

Isabel was sitting at Andrew’s side.

“Buck!” she cried out and stood up. “Oh, it’s so good to see you.” 

“I saw you a few days ago,” Buck reminded her. 

Isabel just laughed and then she placed a kiss on Buck’s cheek and then motioned for him to sit. He pulled up the chair to sit next to her and Isabel grabbed and squeezed his hand. 

“My grandkids, they’ve been through a lot, Buck,” she said. “And the one thing I want for them is to find love. Eddie’s been unlucky in that respect but Andrew is hopeless.”

Maybe not hopeless, just not ready to settle down. At least, that was the impression that Buck had from Eddie and from Josh and from his house. 

“So, I was happy when I heard he had you.” 

The way that she looked at him with this earnest and fond expression made his chest feel tight because he was keeping this stupid lie going and this wonderful woman would get hurt by it and Buck hated himself for it. 

Buck had no idea how to respond. He felt lucky when he heard someone enter and found Pepa holding a couple of cups. 

“Oh, Buck,” she said, “if I had known you were here I would have brought you a coffee.” 

Buck chuckled. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Pepa set the drinks down before she pressed a kiss to Buck’s cheek in greeting. “How are you?”

“I’m doing alright,” Buck said. 

“Good. That’s good.” 

They fell into a nice silence for a while until Isabel turned to look at Buck. “And what about your family,” she said. “Do they know about you and Andrew?” 

“Uh...no,” Buck said. “But not because he’s a he. It’s — I haven’t spoken to my family in a long time. After I left home I didn’t really keep in touch and they never tried to reach out either.” He shrugged because it didn’t really matter anymore. Buck had long ago resigned himself to not having anyone to call family. Except Maddie...he’d always expected to have Maddie. But she left him too. 

“Well, you have us now,” Pepa said. 

The warmth that such a declaration filled him with made Buck want to tell them everything right then and there. He didn’t, but he wanted to. He wanted to keep them and tell them the truth and he knew both together wouldn’t be possible. 

—-

“You know he has no family,” Pepa said. “Said he hasn’t talked to any of them since he left home.”

Eddie knew without asking that they were talking about Buck. Instead of going home after his shift, he’d gone by the hospital. His parents had taken Christopher there and if nothing else, Eddie wanted to pick his son up and take him home because a hospital room really wasn’t where a kid should be hanging out. 

“Eddie, hijo, qué estás haciendo aquí?” His dad asked, interrupting whatever Pepa was going to say. 

[“Eddie, son, what are you doing here?”]

“Haven’t seen my kid in twenty four hours, where else would I be?” Eddie asked. 

Christopher didn’t bother to get up from where he was sitting in the chair next to Andrew, holding one of his books in his hands, but he looked up and smiled at Eddie and Eddie grinned back. Abuela sat next to Christopher, reading with him. 

His mom kissed his cheek and his dad pat his arm when he walked past him. 

“You look tired, Eddito,” Abuela said. 

“I’m not gonna be here long,” Eddie said. “Just figured I’d pick up this one and bring him home with me.” 

“Hi, daddy,” Christopher said.

Eddie kissed Abuela’s cheek and ruffled Christopher’s hair and then he looked towards Andrew who looked the same as last time. 

“No changes,” his mom said. “The doctor says he’ll wake up when he’s ready. But it’s been days.”

Eddie could tell that she was worried. He was too, sort of. It was just that Eddie pretty much expected for Andrew to be okay. He always was. Sometimes it felt like Andrew was just lucky in life. Apparently in love too. And in just all other kinds of ways. Life had always just worked out for his brother. 

“He’ll be okay, mom.” 

“I know.” 

Eddie had managed to get some rest while at work so he wasn’t too tired that he needed to go straight home, but it meant that his family let him take Christopher and go without trying to get him to hang around a little longer. So, when he had Christopher out of the hospital and strapped into the car, he turned to face him. 

“Okay, kid, do you want to go on an adventure?”

“Yes,” Christopher said. 

“Well, it’s not much of an adventure as much as I want you to meet someone,” Eddie said. 

He drove to Andrew’s house, dodging Christopher’s questions. He wasn’t too surprised when he saw Buck’s Jeep parked up front. So maybe he was resigning himself to not having known his brother well enough to know that he would end up dating a man. It stung a little and Eddie couldn’t lie to himself about why. 

“This is tio’s house,” Christopher said. 

Eddie nodded and then they walked up to the house and Eddie picked Chris up to take him up the stairs but he set him down before he opened the door. Inside, it was the usual chaos. 

“Buck!” Eddie called out and then, “Legolas!” 

Neither appeared so Eddie motioned for Christopher to follow him to the kitchen and sure enough, through the window he spotted Buck outside. He was sitting on the top step of the deck reading a book while Legolas chewed on a toy next to him.

“Come on, kid, they’re outside,” Eddie said and he pushed the door open. 

When he opened the door, Buck looked up from the book. Legolas did too, dropping his toy, and then he barked and ran at Eddie. Eddie caught him before he could get too excited and go at Christopher. Christopher had stopped behind him, but he gasped. 

“Christopher, this is Legolas,” Eddie said. 

Christopher moved around him and he was cautious as he reached over to touch Legolas. Legolas turned his face and licked at Christopher’s hands and Christopher giggled. It wasn’t often that Christopher was around animals he could actually touch but one of his favorite places to go was the Zoo and the Aquarium. 

“Hey,” Buck said. “Just get off work?”

“Yeah.” Eddie said. “Figured I’d bring Christopher around here.” 

He let Legolas go and because he was just such a good dog, he laid down right there and then and let Christopher keep petting him. 

“Andrew does not have the patience to train a dog,” Eddie said. 

“But he’s really well trained,” Buck said and then he got up. “I bet if Chris is up for it, Legolas would play fetch with him.” 

Buck was good with Christopher, it was one of those things that Eddie had learned to pick up about people. He could tell when people were humoring his kid or just being nice. It was different from being kind and taking Christopher’s CP in stride. Buck acted like it was a non-issue and he could tell that his son was having fun. Buck looked like he was having fun too. It all ended in some weird puppy pile with Buck on the bottom holding onto Christopher and Legolas kissing both of them. 

Eddie took a few pictures and sent them to the 118 group chat. 

“Sorry,” Buck said afterwards, “he’s a little messy.” 

“He’s a kid. He’s always a little messy.” 

Christopher was on the grass lying next to Legolas who looked tired and happy for the rest. Buck was looking at them too and when Eddie caught his eye, he smiled a bit wider. 

“I’m glad you brought him by.”

“Me too.” 

“You want a drink?” Buck asked. “If you guys want to stick around we can order pizza or something. I’m starving.” 

Eddie should have been going home, but he shrugged and Buck grinned at him and then after they went over toppings for a few minutes, Buck put an order for delivery and everything felt easy as they headed back towards the house and it was odd to think about how well Buck fit there in his brother’s home with his brother’s dog. It made his stomach feel a little odd. 

“So, you told them you’re not in touch with your family,” Eddie said eventually while they were still waiting for pizza. 

Christopher had gone and turned the tv on in the living room, but he and Buck were hanging back in the kitchen. 

“I — yeah, I did. I think your abuela basically adopted me right on the spot.”

Eddie chuckled. “Now they’re really not gonna leave you alone. I hope you know that,” Eddie said. 

“You know, I don’t mind that,” Buck said. “After not having family around for so long, it’s nice to have people that care even if...even if they’re not really my family.”

“They will be — we will be,” Eddie said. “Didn’t I hear something about you wanting to propose to Andrew?”

Buck’s cheeks colored at that and he ducked his head. “I — there’s no knowing how any of that will work out,” he said and there was something odd in his expression like regret, but it passed too quickly for Eddie to properly identify and then the doorbell rang but not before Eddie managed to catch a glimpse of the streak of sadness that crossed Buck’s face. 

Eddie hung back in the kitchen while Buck went to the door and when Buck came back with Christopher at his heels he was back to smiling. 

—-

The problem was that he wanted them to be his family. He was being stupid and getting attached. Having Eddie and Christopher around was somehow even worse than just Isabel and Pepa and the way that they were welcoming because as much as he would miss Isabel and Pepa, it was Eddie that he’d seen more of in the last few days and he liked him. He liked the way that Eddie seemed to understand him and how despite the rocky start, Buck thought that he could consider them friends. And Christopher...that kid was sweet and wonderful and Buck had only seen him a few times, but he already loved him. 

“It’s my sister I miss the most,” Buck told Eddie after Eddie had settled Christopher in a chair with his food and drink. 

“The one that hasn’t responded to you in years?” Eddie asked. 

Buck nodded while he chewed. “She’s older than me and when I was little she practically raised me. And then she left for school and she came back for the holidays and stuff and it was nice to hear about her college life and all and then she met Doug and they were engaged. My parents didn’t really like him and I just wanted her to be happy and she seemed happy. They got married and that was around the same time I turned eighteen and so she got married and I started figuring out what I wanted to do so I left home and for a few years we still talked on the phone and texted and then one day all of that just...it stopped.” 

She didn’t answer his texts at first and then when he called she wouldn’t pick up and she didn’t call back. Emails went unanswered. At one point, Buck had even called home and asked his mom about Maddie. Was she okay? He was shrugged off and then his mom assured him that she saw Maddie just the week before and Buck hadn’t been sure if to believe her or not. That was one of the last phone calls home and eventually he stopped trying to talk to Maddie too. 

“That’s not normal, Buck,” Eddie said.

“I know. I follow her on social media and stuff and I see what she posts and she seems fine. Happy. But even there I don’t get much more than a like on anything I comment and I don’t get it. The why...or even how she could just do this to me.” 

Eddie touched his arm, his fingers lingering there for no more than a few seconds, but it was an offer of support. 

“You know, in my family if anyone pulled that one of us would just show up at that person’s house and demand a conversation,” Eddie said. 

“That’s kinda scary,” Buck said. 

Eddie shrugged. “Well, get used to it. They’re pushy.”

“And you’re not?” Buck asked. 

Eddie chuckled and then just tilted his head towards Buck as if to say yes. 

“So, what, I should just show up at her place one day and demand to talk to her? I guess if I ever go to Pennsylvania again. I guess I also don’t know if I want to find out why she stopped talking to me.” 

He didn’t want to know because Buck figured that it was him. He’d pushed too much or he was too needy or Maddie had needed to finally be able to do things without worrying about her brother. So, he didn’t want to find out the truth. 

“It’s an option,” Eddie said. 

“I guess so,” Buck said. 

Buck couldn’t remember the last time he’d even tried calling Maddie or texting her. Maybe if he did she would answer. It was something to think on. 

“You know, the worst part is that I was just so alone then and I guess even now,” Buck said. 

“You have us now,” Eddie said. “And Andrew.” 

Not that it would last. But then he would still have Ali at least. And maybe Chim and Josh too. 

The three of them left the house after cleaning up after themselves and after Buck had refilled Legolas’ water and food. They stepped out of the house that wasn’t either of theirs and Buck was surprised when Christopher hugged his legs before he walked away. 

“I think you’ve made a friend,” Eddie said. 

“That’s one friend I don’t mind having,” Buck said with a grin. “And I guess I’ll see you soon?”

Eddie nodded and he shifted from foot to foot before finally he seemed to decide on something and he stepped closer to Buck and pulled him into a hug. 

“Does that mean you’re also my friend?” Buck asked.

“Yes,” Eddie said after he pulled away.

As he was getting in his car, Buck couldn’t help but think about how nice it had felt to be held by Eddie even if it had lasted seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I will admit that this chapter happened because I wanted Christopher to meet Legolas at last. And everything else formed around it. But also, I did need to get Buck bonding a bit more with Chris and with Eddie. So the dynamic there has been interesting. And next chapter is one of my favorites because Josh is back (among other things).
> 
> I'm expecting to not have time to edit until Monday or Tuesday so expect the next chapter sometime around then. But I've been writing pretty steadily lately so I'm hoping to make updates a bit faster but I guess we shall see. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought. :)
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/618113292143034368/im-with-you-8) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I wrote this entire chapter in one sitting. It’s one of my favorites. Enjoy. ;)

The first time that Buck was on his own with Chimney since the time Chimney overheard him talking to Andrew happened the next morning when he found Chimney already sitting at Andrew’s bedside. 

“Hey, liar,” Chimney said with a smirk. 

“Maybe don’t say that too loud,” Buck said. 

Chimney laughed at that and Buck walked over to sit down across from him at Andrew’s other side. 

“How’s it going, Buck? Have you found a way to tell the truth yet?” 

Buck let out a sigh. He leaned his elbows on the bed and placed his face in his hands. “No,” he said. “And I know it’s just making it worse and worse. He’ll wake up any day now and the truth will come out.” 

Chimney didn’t respond at once. And then he faced Buck directly. “Look,” he said, “I get how hard this is even if I’ve never dug myself into a hole like this one. But everyone will understand if you explain. I know they will. They might get mad...but they’ll understand, Buck.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Buck said and he was thinking about Eddie. 

After the truth came out, Buck was pretty much resigned to having a clean break from all of them. Maybe not Chimney because he already knew, but certainly everyone else. They would be angry at him and maybe hate him. They wouldn’t want him around and there was no reason for Buck to stick around no matter how much he liked them and how much he loved the way that they were so warm and welcoming to him. 

“Everyone likes you, Buck,” Chimney said. 

“And I’ve lied to them,” Buck reminded him. “And I don’t think he’ll be happy about any of that at all.” Buck motioned to Andrew. 

“Or he’ll surprise you and find the whole thing funny,” Chimney said. 

Buck rolled his eyes at that. They fell into silence for a while. The thing about Chimney was that Buck could tell that he meant well and that Chim could tell it was an impossible situation and yet he wanted to be optimistic and hope for the best. Buck knew to not hope for something he couldn’t guarantee. And people...no matter how much you wanted to stay, they left. 

“So, the dog,” Chimney said eventually. “That’s not really Andrew’s dog, is it?” 

“I have absolutely no idea. All I know is that the hospital gave me Andrew’s things and there was a dog collar. And I went to his place and there was a dog.”

“You went to his house,” Chimney said. “You’re a bit pushy, aren’t you? I can see why you’re in this mess.” 

Buck groaned. He sat back in the chair. “If there was a dog, I didn’t want it to be starving if no one was checking on it.” 

“Okay, fine,” Chimney said. “But doesn’t all of that just make it even worse? You let yourself into his house while not being his real boyfriend. You have told any of us. Eddie? Instead, you went to his house.” 

“I had a key,” Buck said. 

“His keys. Keys you had entirely because you’re pretending to be his boyfriend,” Chimney said. 

Buck groaned again. “I know I screwed up. It’s such a big giant mess.” 

Chimney didn’t deny it. 

A knock on the door had them both turning and Buck was surprised to find Josh there. 

“Hey,” Buck said. 

“Finally had time to stop by here and see our coma patient,” Josh said as he walked in. He stopped at the foot of Andrew’s bed. “He looks like’s he’s having the most peaceful sleep. Asshole.” 

“Hi,” Chimney said. “And who are you?” 

“This guy’s best friend, that’s who,” Josh said and he pat Andrew’s leg. 

“Buck’s?” Chimney asked, still looking a bit confused. 

“Andrew’s,” Josh said. 

Buck let out a sigh as Chimney and Josh stared at each other for a while. 

“Right,” Chimney said, “so I’ve heard nothing about you.” 

“You’ve heard nothing about him either,” Josh said motioning to Buck. 

Chimney glanced between them and then sighed. “I want nothing to do with whatever drama this is. There’s enough of that going around.” 

“You both know the truth,” Buck said. “About me not being his boyfriend.”

Chimney’s shoulders relaxed a little at hearing that. “Oh,” he said. “Alright, then. Still, never heard of you Josh. Or his dog. What else is he hiding, a wife? A kid? You think you know someone.” The way that Chim smiled a bit cheekily after he said it made Buck relax. 

“Well, I still think Andrew will take this well,” Josh said. 

“Or not well at all,” Chimney said even though he’d been saying the opposite earlier. 

Buck actually didn’t want to think on it too much so he changed the subject, asking Chimney about Andrew’s neighbor from the day before. 

“She’s good,” Chimney said. “You made a difference, Buck.”

It felt good to hear that just as good as it had felt for Bobby to tell him that maybe he should consider becoming a first responder. The idea had merit, but with everything else going on, Buck didn’t know if he should. Or if he would actually be good at it and a right fit. The whole thing might end up being like the Seals all over again. 

“Thanks,” Buck said.

“With him too,” Chimney said, “seeing as he was a stranger.” 

Buck glared at him and Josh just laughed. 

“And what do you do Josh?” Chimney asked. 

“I work at dispatch,” Josh said. 

Buck was suddenly hit by why he’d thought that Josh was familiar. He must have seen him before on the few times that Buck had visited 9-1-1 dispatch back when he was with Abby. 

“Buck?” Chim asked. 

“My last girlfriend worked as a dispatcher,” he said. “Abby.”

Josh looked pensive for a moment. “Abby,” he said. “I think — I think I remember her. She left after her mom died. Just up and never came back even though...she was supposed to.”

Buck nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t even break up with me before she did,” he said. 

He kind of hated thinking about Abby and the heartbreak that had followed her leaving. He’d been waiting for way too long before he realized that things were over between them. There had been a delusional part of him that just expected to somehow get back to her apartment and find her there.

“That’s rough,” Josh said. 

Buck shrugged. It was easier to not let anyone know that it affected him still. “It is what it is.” 

—-

Eddie woke up to his son poking him. He was fully dressed already and apparently just waiting for him. Since having his parents around, Eddie had admittedly been getting more sleep. In some ways, that made him dread them leaving soon. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Eddie said.

“Daddy, breakfast is ready.” 

He could smell it. The bacon and the coffee mostly. He got out of bed, grabbing Christopher. His son laughed and giggled as Eddie dropped him on the bed. Christopher scrambled off as quickly as he could and together they walked out to the kitchen where Eddie found not just his parents but Abuela and Isabel too.

“I didn’t know we were having a party,” Eddie said and he walked over to kiss Abuela’s cheek. She smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist.

Ever since his talk with Buck about how little family he had, Eddie had realized that he had to appreciate his more because even when they were annoying and pushy they were still there and Eddie loved them. 

“Sit, sit,” Abuela said. 

Christopher was already seated at the table and digging into his food next to Eddie’s mom and Eddie dropped down into the chair next to him. He was still a bit groggy and more focused on eating and drinking the mug of coffee that Pepa handed him to contribute or even pay attention to the conversation happening around him. 

By the time that he was more awake, he found Pepa already doing the dishes and cleaning up and his parents talking about going to the hospital. 

“Unfortunately we can’t stay much longer,” his mom said. “A few more days and we have to get back to Texas. At least, Ramon does.”

Eddie had already expected that. 

“He was looking a lot better yesterday,” Pepa said. “Had a lot of his color back. The doctor is optimistic he’ll wake up today or tomorrow or so the nurses were saying.” 

Eddie hoped that was the case. He knew his parents would likely go back to El Paso if they had to, but it wouldn’t lessen their worry. His mom especially. It would mean hearing from her every minute of every day for updates and Eddie did not have time for that. 

“Eddie, Christopher estaba hablando de up perro?” 

[“Eddie, Christopher was talking about a dog?”] 

Eddie looked to Abuela. “El perro de Andrew. Buck lo hesta cuidando.” 

[“Andrew’s dog. Buck is taking care of him.”]

He could practically feel the confusion coming off of his parents. Even Abuela looked surprised. 

“That’s so nice,” Pepa said. “They have a dog together.” 

“Your brother doesn’t like dogs,” his mom said. “Or is it Buck’s dog? He didn’t mention having one but it would make sense if he had one.” 

Eddie shook his head. “No, it’s Andrew’s dog. I was shocked too but he even has a doggy door installed on his backdoor. I took Christopher over to meet Legolas yesterday and he’s this sweet golden retriever.”

“And he never mentioned getting a dog?” his dad asked. “Come on, Eddie, that’s — you both live in the same state and work at the same fire station and yet you share nothing. You didn’t know about the boyfriend and now the dog.”

Eddie shook his head out of annoyance more than anything else. “I am not his keeper. I have a son and things that keep me too busy to be looking out for Andrew all the time. He’s a grown man and he doesn’t always tell me everything. Clearly. I don’t know why but we’ll find out more when he wakes up.” 

No one said anything and Eddie picked that moment to go get changed so they could head out. 

The hospital parking lot and the hospital for that matter was becoming all too familiar for Eddie and he was a firefighter and making many trips to the ER doors. He’d just never spent as much time there past dropping off a patient. It was different to be visiting someone at the hospital all the time. Pepa had driven ahead of him with his parents which had left Eddie with Christopher and Abuela and as soon as Eddie had helped Christopher out of the car, he was walking with Abuela at his side. Eddie followed a few paces behind and that’s how he managed to spot Buck. 

Buck was talking to a man that Eddie didn’t know. They were laughing a bit and standing close together and then Buck leaned into him and hugged him and the guy hugged back. The hug lasted longer than Eddie thought a regular hug would and then when they broke apart, the guy leaned in and kissed Buck on the cheek and Eddie was sure that Buck was blushing and none of it made sense. Who was that guy and why was he all over Buck and why was Buck letting him? 

Something sparked inside of Eddie, it made him angry and annoyed in a way he hadn’t felt possibly ever. His eyes remained trained on the guy with Buck. He saw them laughing again and then the man walked away and Buck started heading back towards the hospital. It was lucky Abuela and Christopher hadn’t spotted him, but Buck did see Eddie and he smiled and waved, stopping to wait for him, but Eddie wasn’t feeling friendly. 

“Hey,” Buck said as he approached. 

Eddie didn’t know what came over him. Was it protectiveness over his brother? He didn’t know. All he knew was that seeing Buck hugging that guy wore on him. 

“Who was that?” Eddie asked. 

“Who?” 

“The guy you were hugging? The guy that maybe you’re cheating on Andrew with?” The words left him before he’d even realized he was going to say them. 

Buck looked taken aback. “Josh? That’s your brother’s best friend.”

Eddie narrowed his eyes at Buck. “I’ve never heard of a Josh before.” 

“Yes, well you haven’t heard about a lot of the people your brother is friends with,” Buck said with a sigh. “And I would never cheat on Andrew.” 

“Well, I’m not even sure you’re really his boyfriend,” Eddie said and he knew it wasn’t fair. 

Buck laughed, but it was strangled and humorless. “What would I even gain from lying about it?” 

“I don’t know. But there must be something. Andrew is straight and he—”

“And he also hates dogs and he also doesn’t have a friend named Josh and he’s not someone that you apparently know very well at all,” Buck said and Eddie could see some spark in him. Anger and maybe something else. 

“So prove it,” Eddie said. “If he’s your boyfriend then there should be a way to prove it.” 

Eddie had never demanded anything point blank before even though a part of him had wanted to. Buck didn’t respond, instead he shrugged him off and turned and walked towards the hospital doors. Eddie didn’t take long to follow him. He didn’t know what to make of the lack of answer. Was Buck going to give him some sort of proof? Or was this him avoiding giving Eddie an answer. Eddie didn’t even realize they’d made it to the hospital room until he looked up and saw Andrew on the bed. His parents were sitting on one side of the hospital bed. Abuela on the other. Pepa and Christopher weren’t there but Eddie trusted his family to look after him.

And Eddie knew that being there with his family should have stopped him, but he was still just so angry and he didn’t even know if it was about this or because of something else. 

“So, you’re not gonna say anything,” Eddie said, looking at Buck. 

“Eddie come on,” Buck said. 

“Because not saying anything and not giving me proof is really making me doubt everything you’ve ever said to me.” 

Buck glared at him. Everyone in the room was looking at them and when Buck’s glare fell away, he seemed to be looking at Abuela as if to make sure she was okay. 

“Eddie, what is going—” his mom trailed off. 

“Anything at all?” Eddie asked. 

Buck sighed. 

“Hijo, que estas haciendo?” His dad asked.

[“Son, what are you doing?” ]

“I want answers. I’m sure we all do,” Eddie said. “I want to know if Buck is actually telling the truth because I don’t buy it. I don’t buy that he’s Andrew’s boyfriend.” 

Eddie heard Abuela gasp. “But he is,” she said. “He is his boyfriend.” 

“Holy shit,” Chimney whispered and Eddie hadn’t even realized he was there. 

They were all looking between him and Buck and the part of Eddie that really liked Buck, it made him feel horrible for putting him on the spot. And then Buck coughed. He looked at all of them and then his eyes settled on Eddie. 

“Andrew only has one ball sac,” Buck said. 

—-

Buck had never expected to actually need to use that piece of information, but after Eddie had come at him about Josh and then not let up at all despite his whole family being in the hospital room, he really hadn’t had a choice but to use it. A part of him wished that Josh had stuck around to hear it, but then again apparently hugging Josh had been the thing to set off Eddie for some ridiculous reason. 

No one said a thing after the words were out of his mouth and then Chimney coughed. 

“So, uh, who gets to check on that and see if Buck here is telling the truth?” Chimney asked. 

He could see the panic in Chimney’s eyes, like this was going to be the moment when everyone figured Buck out. 

“Or we could just believe him because he’s telling the truth,” Helena said and she was shaking her head at Eddie. 

“Eddie, come on,” Ramon said. “You’re acting crazy.” 

“Well, how about he was hugging someone outside the hospital. Some guy,” Eddie said. “Kissed him too.” 

“Yes,” Buck said. “I hugged Josh. He’s Andrew’s friend and he was just here visiting.” 

Chimney jumped in, then. “I can confirm that.” 

“And the kissing?” Helena asked. 

“On the cheek. Josh is a tactile person,” Buck said. 

Eddie looked like he didn’t want to back down, but he closed his eyes and he took a deep breath and then he just walked out of the room and Buck felt like somebody had reached into his body and just squeezed all of his organs together because Eddie’s anger and the resigned way he walked away made him want to tell the truth and come clean about everything. 

“I’m so sorry about him, Buck,” Helena said. “I think he’s just being protective of Andrew.”

Chimney met Buck’s eyes and it was hard to not just burst out and tell them that Eddie was right and that he’d been lying all along. 

“But we know you’re not lying, Buck,” Isabel said. 

“It’s okay,” Buck said and he felt terrible about the lying but also about Eddie and whatever Eddie was feeling. 

When Christopher entered the room with Pepa, everyone relaxed a little more. Buck ruffled his hair when he passed by and Christopher grinned at him, but he got busy putting another drawing for his uncle on his bedside table. One of the nurses had actually taped a few of them up where they weren’t in the way and where Andrew could see them when he woke up. There were a few other cards on the bedside table as well that had joined Christopher’s. Harry and Denny were responsible for two but there were others. Once again a display of how loved Andrew was. 

“I can go find him. Talk to him,” Buck found himself saying and he didn’t know if it was for Eddie’s sake or because he didn’t want to be in that room anymore watching a family that he wasn’t fully a part of and actually shouldn’t be a part of. 

He didn’t actually find Eddie at once because he wasn’t out in the waiting room or near the vending machines. So Buck wandered outside to see if he could find him there and found him leaning against a wall. 

“Eddie,” Buck said as he approached. 

Eddie turned his face to look at him. “What are you doing out here?” Eddie asked. 

“I — I wanted to understand something. Why are you so...why is it easier to believe that I’m lying or cheating or whatever? Am I just giving you the impression that that is what I’m doing or that that’s who I am? I just...I don’t get it.” 

Eddie groaned. He leaned his head back against the wall and Buck wondered if he should leave him there, but then Eddie looked at him again and his stare was piercing. 

“Because it’s easier to think that there’s some weird reason for why you could have lied about this than to believe that everything I know about my brother is a lie. And maybe I was a bit hasty when it came to — what was his name? Josh?” 

Buck nodded. And he wanted to tell him. He wanted to confirm that everything Eddie was doubting was true and that there was a lot that didn’t make sense. Hell, Legolas didn’t make sense and Buck didn’t even have anything to do with the dog. 

“Okay but that still—”

Eddie cut him off. “No...no, I was out of line. And I should tell you the truth and why it bothered me so damn much because I can’t keep doing this. Even if it—” Eddie ran a hand through his hair and he looked agitated and annoyed and like he was trying to figure out how to use his words. 

Buck had to tell him everything first. It didn’t matter what Eddie might need to say because maybe it was that Eddie already knew. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. But the truth needed to come out at some point. 

“Because I don’t want—”

“Eddie, no, you need to know—”

They spoke at the same time, but neither of them got to finish what they were about to say because before Buck could properly build up his courage or make the decision to actually say something or figure out how he was supposed to say it, Chimney was running out of the hospital. 

“Eddie! Buck!” 

Buck turned and Eddie pushed off the wall. 

“What happened? Chim, what’s—” 

Chimney looked between them and then he said it. “He’s awake. Andrew’s awake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, does Andrew have perfect timing or what? 
> 
> I actually had no plans for Andrew to wake up quite yet...but then it felt just a little unrealistic to keep him in a coma for too long. And as I was finishing up this chapter when considering all the tension that had grown and this last scene with Buck and Eddie, it just fit. 
> 
> Let me know what you all thought! 
> 
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/618471883166367744/im-with-you-9) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly longer chapter this time around. Enjoy.

Andrew was awake. 

Buck almost panicked and ran away. He might have done it if he wasn’t just frozen on the spot. Eddie moved before him and glanced at him once as if expecting Buck to follow as he walked at a brisk pace back inside. 

“Buck?” Chimney said. 

“Fuck.”

“Come on, man, you have to go back in there.”

“Or I could just leave,” Buck said. “I — Chim, I’m just going to end up leaving anyway and this way I don’t have to—” 

“Don’t be a coward.” Chimney grabbed his arm. “Maybe things won’t be all that bad. We can — Andrew is just coming out of it and maybe we can figure out a way to make this work out but that can’t happen if you just run off.” 

Buck was just about to start arguing about how a clean break would be better and how it didn’t mean that him and Chimney didn’t need to ever be friends or talk, when Eddie was back. 

“What’s the hold up?” Eddie asked. “Come on.”

Eddie looked a little strange and he wouldn’t meet Buck’s eyes and Buck knew that their conversation was far from over. Buck had been on the brink of telling him everything. And that moment was gone now and Buck had no idea what came next. Andrew was awake and he wouldn’t know Buck and it would be over. Maybe he and Eddie would never talk again. It hurt to think about that. 

Buck took a breath and he let Chimney pull him towards Eddie and towards the hospital and towards what would likely be the worst thing that Buck ever had to deal with in his life. He still wanted to turn tail and run. Somehow, he didn’t. 

When they arrived at the hospital room, a doctor was examining Andrew who was sitting up in his bed and wide awake. Abuela sat at his side with Ramon standing behind her. Christopher was sitting on Helena’s lap on the other side of the bed and Pepa stood off to the side. A nurse was helping the doctor and it seemed like everyone was waiting to hear from the doctor. 

Eddie walked right in to stand by his mom, but Buck and Chimney hung back by the door and Buck was still fighting the urge to run. 

It felt like an age before the doctor was done and then he stepped back and Andrew finally sat up and looked around. He looked confused and maybe even a little scared. He looked good, a little messy from being in a bed for so long, but still handsome. And he was awake. 

“Who...who are you?” he asked. His voice was a bit hoarse from lack of use and his hands were bunching up the sheets. 

He wasn’t looking at Buck, though, he was looking at everyone and then to the doctor and the nurse as if they had answers. Buck didn’t think he could breathe. 

“Where am I?” Andrew asked. 

“Honey, you’re at the hospital,” Helena was quick to say. “You had an accident and hit your head. You’re waking up from a coma, I’m sure it’s confusing.” 

None of that seemed to reassure him and the doctor started checking on him again even as Andrew tried to ask him questions. 

“What’s going on? What’s wrong with him?” Ramon demanded. 

“Papa, calm down. The doctor is checking him,” Eddie said. 

Buck and Chimney shared a glance. Was this confusion normal after a coma? Or was it something more like actual amnesia? Buck hated the way that his hopes went up at the possibility that Andrew had forgotten things. He felt terrible for it even while relieved. It gave him more time. Maybe he could explain and...but, no, no matter how it came out Buck wouldn’t get to keep any of them. He had to come to terms with it.

“We have to do a few tests and more scans. He’s awake and that’s good but head injuries can be...they’re unpredictable,” the doctor said. “In the meanwhile it might be best not to overwhelm him.”

The doctor left the room and he was talking to the nurse, ordering whatever tests might be needed. They were all left with Andrew still in the bed looking more vulnerable and confused than ever. 

“So you’re — you’re my family,” Andrew said eventually. 

“Yes,” Helena said and she reached over and grabbed his hand. 

“You’re my uncle,” Christopher said, stepping forward. 

Andrew’s gaze fell on Christopher and then he looked away from him, his eyes going from one person to another and Buck could see it in his eyes how he just didn’t recognize any of them. He really did have amnesia. What were the odds of that? And what did it mean for Buck? 

“We can introduce ourselves,” Helena said. “Maybe that will help?” 

“Uh...okay.” 

“Well I’m your mom,” Helena said. “Christopher is your nephew.”

Christopher waved at Andrew who nodded at him and then he looked to Pepa. 

“Everyone calls me Pepa,” she said, “I’m your Tia Josephina. On your dad’s side.” 

“I’m Christopher’s dad, Eddie. Your older brother,” Eddie said “It’s good to see you awake again.” 

Andrew nodded again and then he looked towards the other side of the bed. So far Abuela hadn’t reacted to the news that Andrew didn’t remember any of them. She was taking it really well as far as Buck was concerned even if she’d been a bit on the quieter side. 

“I’m your dad,” Ramon said, “and this is your abuela.” 

“And the two of you?” Andrew asked, looking at Chimney and Buck. 

“Howie,” Chimney said. “Well, no one calls me that. I work with you and your brother. Everyone calls me Chimney.” 

Andrew looked like he was considering asking about what he did for work, but then he looked to Buck and Buck just completely froze. Was he supposed to just lie to Andrew? Andrew who remembered no one from his life and who was vulnerable and clearly confused. It might even hurt him to hear Buck’s lie and if and when he did remember everything he would know that Buck was lying and maybe that would make everything worse. And yet, the way that everyone was looking at him, it meant that Buck had to say something. Anything. 

“Buck,” Buck said. “Well, Evan, but no one calls me that. I’m...I’m—” Buck couldn’t say it. He couldn’t lie. 

“He’s your boyfriend, honey,” Helena said, she shot a smile at Buck. 

Eddie was looking at him too, but his eyes fell away the moment that Buck looked at him. Eddie would probably feel triumphant when it all came out in the end. He’d been right all along. 

“Boyfriend,” Andrew repeated. 

“Yeah,” Buck said. He was a horrible person. He felt dirty confirming it. 

Andrew didn’t say anything and then his mom was there touching his face and pushing his hair back and Buck felt like he was intruding. Chimney was looking at him and Buck didn’t know how to face him or anyone at all. 

This...it wasn’t the time to come clean. Maybe he’d said that to himself a lot when he should have told them the truth but this was definitely not the time. Buck didn’t know what came next or what might happen if Andrew did remember or if he didn’t, but it felt like he’d fallen down another hole with different problems and repercussions and he still had no idea what to do. 

Olivia the nurse entered then and because she wasn’t subtle at all, she widened her eyes at Buck and he just shook his head at her and ignored her as she walked over to Andrew. She was preparing him so they could take him to get scans. 

“How does this work,” Pepa said, “the amnesia. Are we — do we tell him things about his life or do we leave it alone and let him remember on his own?” 

Olivia looked startled. “I think the doctor will let you know after the scans. For now, I guess it’s better to let him rest and not overwhelm him with information.” 

Andrew sat silently on the bed, letting his mom stay close while Olivia did a few more things and took her leave. 

“Buck, what are we going to do?” Chimney whispered to him while everyone else was busy around Andrew’s bed. 

“I have no idea,” Buck admitted. 

Chimney snorted. “Yeah. I kinda got that.” 

—-

Chimney hadn’t expected amnesia. And yet, while it both lessened the complications, it also made everything worse. Buck looked panicked and scared and like he wanted to take off and just run and not deal with the mess that admittedly wasn’t entirely of his creation but that he’d certainly made worse with not correcting the lie. 

He wondered if it would have made things easier if Chimney had let him run when he’d gone to fetch them. Or if Chimney had taken it upon himself to tell everyone else about the lie when he first found out. 

The whole time standing there watching as Andrew didn’t recognize any of them had been painful. The spell had been broken once Andrew was taken to get more scans done. 

“I — I have to go,” Buck had said then and no one tried to stop him. 

Chimney had almost expected Eddie to. Things were...well, they were weird between Buck and Eddie after Eddie had accused him earlier of cheating on Andrew of all things. Chimney couldn’t figure out if that had been Eddie being a protective older brother or if it was something else...something to do with Buck. 

As soon as Buck started to walk out, Chimney grabbed his things and excused himself as well, going after him. He knew what Buck had been expecting when Chimney went out there to call him — hell, he’d been expecting the same. Somehow, it was worse, the limbo of not knowing what would happen next. 

“So, that happened,” Chimney said. 

“Yeah, what the hell,” Buck said. “I mean...am I just lucky that it didn’t blow up in my face in there just now? Or is this further punishment or something? I need to tell them All of them. This has gone on long enough...I can’t just keep—” 

Buck was pacing a little, his movement frenetic and wild. 

“What if he starts remembering and the one thing he doesn’t remember is me? I can’t lie to them? Not when he’s like that and when if his memory comes back he can’t even really say that I’m lying? I don’t know...I just don’t know.” 

“One,” Chimney said, grabbing Buck by the shoulders, “you have to calm down. And two, I think you have to talk to Andrew and explain.”

Buck shook his head. His eyes were wild moving from one thing to another and not really seeing anything at all and Chimney had barely known him a full week, but he already considered this kid a friend. And he didn’t want him to end up hurt and alone. 

The thing was that Chimney got it. He understood feeling lonely and how it felt to find people that made that loneliness disappear. The first day when he’d overheard Buck talking to Andrew, he’d known that he couldn’t blame Buck for what happened. At least, not entirely. And then Buck had said he would tell everyone but when he didn’t, Chimney had looked at it from Buck’s side and he figured he couldn’t blame Buck for not saying anything. The whole thing was complicated and could have been better if Buck had just spoken up from the start, but Chimney didn’t blame him for letting it go on. And now...now, maybe there was a way for them to fix the whole thing. 

Chimney had worked with Andrew for a few years now, ever since Andrew was a probie and just a bit of a pain because he was so eager to be a hero. But Andrew had learned quickly and they’d all grown to care about him like their kid brother. So, Chimney knew with some certainty that Andrew would probably find the whole thing hilarious. Then again maybe he wouldn’t. It was different to deal with a version of his friend that had no memory, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t still himself. Deep down there were things that didn’t change. And if they played it right then it was possible that they could pull it off and explain it and maybe Buck wouldn’t end up on his own. Because if Andrew had managed to get all of them to care for him, Buck had done it too. 

Chimney would just need a moment alone with Andrew. That was all.

Buck seemed too agitated and thrown by everything that had happened to listen to him, so Chimney let him go, but hopeful that Buck would at least know that he wouldn’t lose Chimney as a friend whatever happened. 

—-

Hours later, Eddie was drinking a beer in his kitchen. It was late afternoon, but he was home alone since his parents had refused to leave Andrew for the time being and Christopher had a playdate with Denny. Andrew didn’t remember anything. 

The doctor was sure that time would return his memories. So, even though he was doing well otherwise, Andrew was staying at the hospital for observation for another day or two. Maybe more. They suggested that while they could tell Andrew some things and try to jog his memory, it was better not to overwhelm him with information. 

Andrew had mostly seemed confused and unsure about where to begin asking questions and Eddie had felt entirely helpless in the moment. 

Buck hadn’t stuck around long after Andrew was taken for more tests and Eddie had felt a little bit guilty about that because he’d been completely out of line in accusing Buck of cheating on Andrew. Eddie just hadn’t had a chance to talk to Buck before he left but next time he saw him, he would apologize properly. What was worse was that Eddie had almost told Buck that his reaction to Josh almost had nothing to do with Andrew. It was about Eddie. 

Eddie who liked Buck...had liked Buck from the moment he saw him. Eddie who had spent some time with Buck at his brother’s house with his kid and with Andrew’s dog and had let himself for a moment pretend that it could be a reality somehow. Him and Buck. He was so stupid to even consider it. To hope that somehow Buck and Andrew weren’t a thing so that he could what? Make a move on Buck? 

And he’d almost told Buck. Andrew had woken up though, and maybe that was a good thing. He couldn’t put his feelings on Buck. 

Eddie finished off his beer and got up to get another. He’d just grabbed the cold glass bottle from his fridge when his phone rang. It was his mom. 

“Hey, mom,” Eddie said. “Everything okay?”

“Hi, honey, can you do me a favor and stop by Andrew’s place and pick up a few of his things. Maybe some pictures and other things of his. Might help him remember. The doctors say it will help to be around familiar things. Do you remember that photo album that I made him, I’m hoping he still has it and maybe that book he loves so much? Things like that. Like maybe—”

She listed a number of things that Eddie could pick up and bring and Eddie mostly didn’t listen. As far as he knew, it was his sisters that were sentimental. Not his brother. He likely did have the photo album and there were sure to be other things that meant something to Andrew to bring along, but Eddie didn’t expect to find all the random little things his mom was asking for. Some of them were probably even back in El Paso in their childhood home. 

“Mom, I’ll go and see what I can find. How’s he doing?” 

“The same. Slept for a little bit but he’s awake now. He’s been looking at all the cards and drawings from the kids. And, Eddie, have you spoken to Buck? He rushed out of here so fast and we’re a little worried.” 

Eddie almost groaned. He pressed the cold glass bottle against his forehead. “I’m sure he’s fine, mom. Just overwhelmed by everything.” 

“Well you didn’t help with that, did you? Accusing him of cheating. Eddie, what the hell?” 

The disappointed tone in his mom’s voice brought him right back to when he was a kid and maybe even to all the fights they’d had over Christopher and Shannon and the whole giant mess that that had all turned into. 

“I thought I saw something, okay? And you can’t say this hasn’t been fishy, right? And now we can’t even figure it out since Andrew remembers nothing.” 

His mom sighed. “Look, Eddie, we’re all a little stressed. But just apologize to him, okay? And get that stuff from Andrew’s house.”

“Okay,” Eddie said and maybe he did feel a little like a child that had been chastised. 

Eddie got off the phone, put the unopened beer bottle back in the fridge and then grabbed his keys, the spare key to Andrew’s house, and his wallet and then headed out. He was surprised when he saw Buck’s Jeep parked in front of the house and for a moment after parking, he just stayed inside his truck considering driving away and returning later. Did he want to see Buck again so soon? But he needed to get the stuff for his mom. And he needed to apologize and to start to come to terms with the fact that Buck was his brother’s guy. He took another minute to compose himself before he got out of the car and headed to the house. 

The door was unlocked. He walked right in and heard Buck moving around in the kitchen so he headed that way. Buck was pouring out food for Legolas and he ran his hands down Legolas’ back once the plate was on the floor and Legolas got busy eating. 

“Such a good boy, Legolas. And you know what? Andrew woke up. I’m sure you’ll be seeing him soon,” Buck was saying. “Not sure about—”

“Hey,” Eddie said.

Buck jumped a little. “Oh. Didn’t expect to see you here,” Buck said. 

“My mom wanted me to come and pick up a few things to jog Andrew’s memory,” Eddie said. “They’re saying the amnesia should be temporary.” 

Buck nodded. “Pepa called me,” he said. 

It was a bit awkward between them and Eddie didn’t know how to fix it, but he knew he was the one that screwed up. He had to man up and apologize.

“Listen, Buck, I really should — I’m sorry about earlier. I was out of line and just...I don’t even know what came over me but I’m sorry. Truly.” 

“It’s okay,” Buck said. “You don’t have to be sorry about caring about your brother. I admire that, actually. The way everyone in your family just cares so much.” 

Eddie nodded and then he laughed. “You know, it’s because they like you. If they didn’t...well, you would know if they didn’t. My ex-wife...she really got the brunt of my mom’s passive aggressive side.” 

“Oh.” Buck said. 

Eddie still didn’t like talking about Shannon and the mess that it had all turned into, but he could acknowledge after the fact that maybe his family hadn’t made things easier for them. Or that maybe they had been right about her all along. Eddie had such mixed feelings that they changed from day to day when it came to her. 

“What, um, what happened?” Buck asked and then a moment later. “Wait, no, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” 

Eddie was surprised that he actually wanted to tell Buck. He didn’t know where that willingness to share came from, but talking with Buck was just easier somehow. So he told Buck about how he’d left Shannon with Christopher while he was in the Army and how her only support system had been Eddie’s family. 

“I don’t think it was ever easy for her, but I made it worse by running away and not being around. We needed the money...but that was an excuse. And when she left me and Christopher it was...I guess I couldn’t blame her for it. But I hated her for a long time not on my behalf but on my son’s.”

Eddie didn’t know why it was all coming out all of a sudden. He didn’t usually talk about Shannon. He hated thinking about all their past mistakes and all the things that the two of them had done wrong. Right to the very end of their relationship they had been screwing up right and left and it hadn’t been just Shannon but him too. Eddie would never forget the day he woke up and she was just gone. And the worst part had been realizing that she didn’t just leave him but Christopher as well. 

“I’m sorry,” Buck said. “Sounds like it was rough.” 

“You know, I came to LA partly because of her, but along the way I realized I was doing it because I thought Christopher needed his mom and she didn’t want to be that.”

It hurt still, to think about how Shannon had abandoned Christopher, how she hadn’t even been capable of trying to find a way to reconnect with her son even if she wanted nothing to do with Eddie. Maybe it was that Eddie also hadn’t tried and that he’d used Andrew as some sort of buffer but in the end as Christopher’s mother she should have tried harder. 

“And does Christopher remember her?” Buck asked. 

“A little, but he knows she’s not around and even if he doesn’t get it, he accepts it. Just how kids are, I suppose.” 

At least, it was Eddie’s hope that Christopher wasn’t damaged by it. He’d asked about her a lot right after she left, but eventually he’d stopped maybe because he knew that Eddie couldn’t tell him anything new or because he was getting used to her not being around.

“I, um, my last girlfriend...her mom died and I guess she spent a good chunk of time taking care of her — years, really. So when she died, she decided to travel like her mom always wanted to or did. I can’t remember. We didn’t break up or anything and we talked all the time while she was gone but then her trip kept getting extended and slowly we stopped talking all the time and then she stopped answering me or calling until one day I didn’t hear from her at all. So, I get it, Eddie.” Buck shifted on his feet, looking down at the floor for a long moment. “It’s not easy being left behind.”

Eddie could see the leftover pain on Buck and like Buck understood what Eddie had gone through, Eddie understood Buck too. A small petty part of him wondered how much of this Andrew already knew. Probably all of it, he realized. 

“Buck, I’m—”

Buck waved his hand. “It’s the past, right? We move on and move forward. You’re doing it...and so am I.” 

Eddie nodded. He didn’t know what he could say and Buck returned to Legolas. 

It felt awkward to stand there watching him. “I should...I have to go find those things for my mom.” 

“Right, yeah. I’ll come help,” Buck said.

Since Legolas seemed to have finished eating, he followed at Buck’s side.

—-

They looked through a few things in the living room. Andrew didn’t have a lot of books on the single bookshelf in the living room but he had plenty of movies and few pictures on display. One of them actually had Eddie and Andrew in their uniforms standing in front of the firestation and Buck lingered on that one for a moment. Another picture caught his eye of Andrew holding a baby that must have been Christopher. It was cute and Andrew was smiling, but he also clearly had no real idea how to hold a baby. 

“That is the one and only time he held him as a baby,” Eddie said with a chuckle. “He was so uncomfortable. Gave him right back afterwards.” 

They headed upstairs and Buck felt a little weird going into Andrew’s bedroom granted he’d already been in there the first time he went to Andrew’s house but he hadn’t stepped foot inside there again. It was still a big giant mess which Eddie seemed to find funny. Legolas ran straight to the bed and jumped up, wagging his tail and rolling around on the sheets. 

“He’s always been messy,” Eddie said as he kicked some clothes out of his way. 

Eddie went straight to Andrew’s closet but Buck hung back and watched him as he brought out a couple of cardboard boxes and dumped them on the unmade bed next to Legolas who immediately started to sniff at them. Buck moved over to help him and pulled out a High School yearbook and then a photo album. 

“That’s it,” Eddie said. 

Buck opened it partly out of curiosity than anything else. The first page had a message written out and signed by Helena Diaz. Buck didn’t bother to read it. 

“My mom made it for him,” Eddie said in way of explanation. “She was always big on taking pictures of us.”

Buck flipped through a few pages. The first few were pictures from when Andrew was just a kid and then there were a few from his teenage years. Mixed in with the pictures were other mementos; a newspaper clipping, tickets to a concert, Prom pictures which Buck lingered on and Eddie laughed at. They found graduation pictures next and then pictures of Andrew at his Fire Academy graduation. One with him in all his gear looking much closer to the age he was now and that was the end of it. 

“This is nice,” Buck said. “So, did she make you one too?” 

Eddie nodded and then he started looking through the rest of the box. Buck looked through the photo album again. 

“Hey, is there anything of yours — I mean, anything that might help Andrew remember you? Pictures of you guys or just anything memorable?”

Buck froze. “Uh, I don’t think so,” he said.

“Nothing at all?” Eddie asked, eyeing him. 

“I can’t think of anything,” Buck said and shrugged. Legolas nudged him and Buck acquiesced and started to pet him.

Eddie found a battered old copy of The Catcher In The Rye on Andrew’s bedside table. 

“His favorite book,” Eddie said and then he started looking around the bedroom for anything else to bring along but didn’t find anything other than a picture of the 118 crew on the dresser. “I really don’t think there’s anything else.” 

For a while Eddie just stood in the middle of the room and then he seemed to remember something, because he dropped to the floor next to Andrew’s bed. Eddie looked under Andrew’s bed and brought out a couple of shoe boxes. One had a collection of comic books inside and Eddie flicked through them until he found the one he was looking for. The other box was full of CDs and again Eddie went through it until he pulled out one. 

Eddie was holding the photo album, the book, the yearbook, the picture of the 118, a Sandman comic book, and a Green Day CD. 

“So all of this...um, anything else you can think of? You can bring anything you want.” 

“Thanks,” Buck said, but mostly it made him feel horrible. 

It was all coming to an end. Buck had expected for it to happen quickly the moment that Andrew woke up and took a look at him and didn’t remember him. Instead, Andrew didn’t remember anyone. Anyone else would have been relieved at the reprieve, but Buck mostly just felt the weight of the guilt grow. 

He’d left the hospital earlier as soon as he was able to do so and it was lucky that he had Chimney with him because Buck was sure he would have freaked out even more if Chim hadn’t been there to try and reason things out. Chimney was of the idea that they needed to explain things to Andrew even in the state that he was in and that hopefully Andrew would be understanding about the whole thing. Buck didn’t think that Andrew would take it well at all. His hands were still buried in Legolas’ fur and it was hard to face that one day soon, he would be seeing that dog again. He would miss him like crazy...just as much as he would miss everyone else. 

Eddie gathered all the things, but he didn’t head out the door at once, instead he stopped at the door and looked back at him. 

“Buck, are you okay?” 

“I’m...I’m fine,” Buck said, a bit surprised that Eddie had even asked. The whole day had been a bit of a weird roller coaster with Eddie. 

“Are you sure? I know it was a setback to not have him remember anything, but he’s awake and he’s going to remember and it’ll be okay. Things will get back to normal...well, I guess it’ll be different since we all know about you now. But...it will be okay.” 

Buck nodded even while his insides twisted because it wasn’t going to be like what Eddie was describing. “I know,” he said, anyway. 

Earlier when he’d wanted to actually tell Eddie everything, he’d been so sure that it was the right thing. It still was in some ways, but Buck couldn’t do it. 

“Hey, do you want to come with me to the hospital to drop these off?” 

Buck shook his head. He had no idea if he would be able to go back just yet and face Andrew. “I’ll be by tomorrow. I’ll give your family the time to be with him.” 

“Buck,” Eddie said with a sigh, “you’re practically a part of the family. If you’re worried about intruding, you’re not. Alright?” 

“I—”

“Come on,” Eddie said. “I’m sure you want to see him. I’m not taking a no for an answer. I know if I were in your shoes I wouldn’t want to leave my boyfriend’s side. So come on.” 

He didn’t want to see him. The hospital was the last place he wanted to go to, but there was no getting out of it, not without making Eddie think that something was up. It was better to agree when Eddie looked like he was going to push until he got his way and the thing about it was that Buck would give Eddie anything he wanted.

Buck followed Eddie in his Jeep to the hospital. It felt like more than just a few hours had passed since he’d been at the hospital last. Things were so different. 

He and Eddie walked in and Helena and Ramon were both still there. Andrew looked tired, but he was awake and looking through a phone.

“Oh, you’re here, Eddie. Did you find anything?” Helena said. 

“Hi, Buck,” Ramon said. 

“It’s good you’re back,” Helena said and she got up to give him a quick hug before she turned to Eddie. 

Eddie handed the things over to his mom who looked through them and seemed satisfied enough even if Buck thought that she seemed to want more. 

“Hey,” Eddie said to Andrew. “How are you feeling?” 

Buck didn’t know what to say. He felt awkward and out of place — he was out of place. If he were less of a coward, he would have told all of them right then and there. Instead, he was just silent and sad and Eddie touched his arm and it felt like a nudge to do something or say something. 

“Hi,” he managed, aiming it at Andrew. 

“You’re my boyfriend,” Andrew said, brows a little furrowed like he was trying to understand a complicated problem. 

“I’m—” Buck couldn’t say it. 

“I don’t remember you at all,” Andrew said before Buck could finish. “But I don’t remember most things.” 

“But you’ll remember, honey,” Helena said. “No one could forget this wonderful boy.” She beamed at Buck for a moment and then looked back at Andrew. 

He wasn’t wonderful. He was horrid and a liar. 

“And then you have to explain to me why and how you got a dog,” Eddie said with a chuckle and Buck could hear the other underlying question, Andrew would need to explain his latent interest in men — interest that was not at all true. He would have to explain Buck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Andrew is awake, aren't you all happy to meet him?   
> Because I was kinda thrilled and we get more Andrew in the next chapter.   
> This chapter is also the first time I've written Chimney pov so that was fun. 
> 
> The divergence here from the movie is that in the movie Peter wakes up and obviously doesn't know Lucy so they imply that he has selective amnesia and that's why he can't remember her while he does actually remember everyone and everything else. I decided to take it a step further and have Andrew remember basically nothing. So...the secret is not out yet. But this will create an interesting dynamic. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/618954179820634112/im-with-you-10) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting a bit earlier than I expected I would be again which is not a bad thing. Enjoy. :)

It felt foggy, like there was something he should know, or things that should have been in his head that wasn’t confusion. The doctor had asked him questions that had felt a bit random. Math ones and history ones and chemistry ones, and questions about fire safety for some reason. Supposedly they were things that were relevant to the life that he didn’t remember and the people that had been around in his hospital room when he woke up. 

As it turned out, he knew a lot of things — studied and learned knowledge. Facts and things that were just ingrained in him. It was everything else he didn’t know like his parents or his brother or that he was gay — well, bisexual — and had a boyfriend whom he knew to be aesthetically pleasing in the way that he could acknowledge when someone looked good and yet did nothing else for him.

His mom tried to show him pictures to jog his memory, but even the pictures that had him in them felt like looking at strangers. When he’d gone to the bathroom earlier, feeling sore and unsure of the help that his parents were offering him, he’d taken some time to stare at himself in the mirror. But he didn’t recognize himself and that was a strange and weird feeling. 

Nothing made him remember anything fully, but he had feelings or maybe something that was like deja vu sometimes. His parents told him he was a firefighter — a hero. He didn’t feel like one, though. They didn’t leave his side the first day, sticking around right up until it was dark out and they either needed to leave or stay the night. 

Eddie and Buck — his boyfriend, Buck — had brought a few things to help him with the remembering thing. The photo album gave him nothing really except that he had some faint familiarity with some of the things in the earlier pictures but Andrew — and even his name had felt weird on his tongue — didn’t consider any of that actually remembering. 

After everyone left, he looked through the things he’d been brought again. The pictures, and the yearbook, and then he picked up the Sandman comic book. When he’d first opened it earlier, the story had come to him at once. All the pictures were familiar. It was the same with _The Catcher In the Rye_. He knew the book well. Loved it. American Idiot was another thing he remembered. Eddie had played a few of the songs for him and Andrew knew the words. 

The oddest part was remembering some things and not remembering others. 

The doctors were all optimistic that he would get his memory back. They didn’t know the cause of the amnesia exactly, but they expected it to be temporary. Andrew hoped so, he wasn’t fond of the daze he was in. 

—-

Buck called out from work the next morning and texted Ali while he was at it to let her know that he was sorry but couldn’t make it in. 

**And why is that?**   
**You alright?**

Buck almost didn’t feel like answering. After he’d gotten home the night before and picked at the food he’d picked up on the way home before just giving up and going to bed, Buck hadn’t actually fallen asleep until it was well past midnight. He’d called his boss after two hours of sleep and then texted Ali. 

**Andrew woke up.**   
**He has amnesia.**   
**So not off the hook yet.**   
**Things are just nuts right now.**

He stayed in bed for a good chunk of the morning, drifting in a half-sleep state that didn’t really make a lot of sense. Eventually, he got up mostly out of hunger and then because he figured that if he was hungry, Legolas was too. 

Buck was happy to not run into Eddie at Andrew’s house again. So, instead he went in and fed Legolas and went out to the yard to play. Their playing days were numbered, it was a sad thing to consider with how attached Buck was to the dog. They played fetch for a while until Buck just laid down on the grass and Legolas dropped down next to him, putting his head on Buck’s chest. It was as if Legolas could sense that Buck needed the comfort. 

“You’re amazing, you know. The best dog,” Buck said, running his hands through his golden fur. 

Buck had no idea how long they were like that before Legolas got up and walked up the stairs to the house. He barked a few times and when Buck got up, he found Eddie and Christopher there. Christopher was on the receiving end of doggy kisses which was something that Buck could never not smile at. 

“Buck,” Eddie said, “didn’t think you’d be here.” 

Buck shrugged. “Feeding Legolas.” 

Eddie nodded. “I just figured you’d be at the hospital.”

“Later, probably,” Buck said. He tried to shake off any of the grass that had stayed on him as he walked up the stairs to join them. 

“You have grass on your hair,” Eddie said and before Buck could reach up to shake it off, Eddie was there running his hands through his hair for him. 

Eddie was so close that Buck could feel his breath on his neck and he could smell him, a dark woodsy scent that was very appealing. His fingers pulled at Buck’s hair a little but Eddie was gentle and then he pulled back, falling a step back and away from Buck. It felt like a spell was broken. 

“There,” Eddie said. “All gone.” He was smiling, his eyes twinkling in the light.

Buck liked him. He liked him too much. 

“And what brings you here?” Buck asked. 

“Chris wanted to see Legolas and I figured maybe I’d take a few pictures of him to show to Andrew. See if that sparks anything at all. Although...even without memories he didn’t seem too interested in hearing about this dog.”

“Good idea,” Buck said. He personally had too many pictures of Legolas in his phone. 

Buck had maybe gone a little crazy with taking pictures of Legolas almost every time that he went over to Andrew’s house. It was just that Legolas was very photogenic and he was too adorable to not take pictures of. 

Christopher was still petting Legolas, but he looked up when he heard Buck. 

“Hi, Buck,” he said. 

“Hey, bud,” Buck said and grinned at him as Legolas gently nudged Christopher asking for more petting.

“I’m amazed at how good he is with Christopher,” Eddie said. “That’s — it’s one of the things that’s always made me hesitate to get a dog even though Christopher would love one. I’ve been considering getting him a hamster.” 

“I mean, if you want to get stuck cleaning out the cage.” 

Eddie laughed. “Maybe a fish.” 

“With what a self-cleaning tank?” 

Eddie rolled his eyes and got distracted taking pictures. Some with and without Christopher. The tension that had been present the day before had disappeared probably some time between the awkward moments at the hospital the day before with Andrew. None of them really knew how to act around him least of all Buck who shouldn’t have even been there in the first place. 

“Are you working today?” Buck asked. 

“Yeah. I’m gonna drop Chris off with Abuela for the day so he’s not stuck at the hospital with my parents. They’re still planning to head home tomorrow. I guess it makes it easier that Andrew’s awake now, but they’re trying to spend as much time with him as possible.” 

“Ah,” Buck said. And he felt horrible for hoping that Andrew wouldn’t have his memories back until after his parents left so that maybe just maybe the blowout of everything coming out wouldn’t be as bad. 

They hung out for a while, sitting on the steps while Christopher played with Legolas and it was nice. Peaceful.

The peace was broken when Buck’s phone started to ring. It was an unknown number, but with all the strange things that were happening, Buck figured he should answer. But no one was on the other line. 

“Hello?” Buck asked. 

There was just someone breathing and then they hung up. The area code told him that it wasn’t a California number. 

“That was weird,” Buck said. 

“Who was it? Telemarketer?” 

“No. Or...well, I don’t know. Someone just breathing and then they hung up.” 

Buck considered calling back and seeing if anyone answered, but he didn’t feel like going through the trouble so he put his phone away. If they really did want to reach him they would leave a message. 

“So, you gonna go through with the asking my brother to marry you thing?” Eddie asked eventually. He sounded a bit weird asking. 

Buck shrugged. How could he when they weren’t even together? He’d forgotten about Olivia mentioning that. Or how Isabel had been so happy to hear it. 

“I don’t know,” Buck said. 

Eddie nodded. “Just...I guess be sure it’s what you want, if you do.” 

“Why? Am I not supposed to want your brother?” 

Eddie wouldn’t look at him, instead he stared out at the yard. “I just don’t know if you know him all that well to rush into marriage. Seems I don’t know him all that well either come to think of it. And I just — I realize you probably like my parents and the family as a whole and I don’t want that to influence you.”

“Right,” Buck said and he knew that whatever intention Eddie had by saying all that, that it was rooted in good somehow and yet it sounded wrong and just a bit rude. If Buck had actually been Andrew’s boyfriend, it wouldn’t have come off well at all. 

“I mean...I mean that from my own experience marriage is not something to go into lightly,” Eddie said. 

“Eddie, the last thing I’m thinking about is marriage. And...I think I should go,” Buck said. “I have to pick up more food for Legolas and I should stop by the hospital.” 

“Oh. I’ll see you soon?” 

“Yeah,” Buck said. He stopped by Christopher to ruffle his hair and to pet Legolas goodbye. 

Christopher said goodbye in his gentle tone. “See you soon, kid,” Buck said. He was going to miss him too once it was all over. 

—-

Eddie was jealous and he was a shit person. A shit brother. He had seen it in Buck’s eyes, and then the way that Buck had just taken off right after Eddie had just started voiding his concerns about Buck and Andrew getting married. It left a bad taste in his mouth. It was just that Eddie hadn’t expected to come upon Buck at Andrew’s house again, but there he was in the backyard sitting on the grass looking gorgeous and like he belonged there in that house and with that dog and it had bothered Eddie. It was still bothering Eddie. 

The idea that one day Andrew and Buck would be married and Eddie would have to see them together...it hurt. It hurt more than he’d expected it to. And maybe it hurt more because when they’d been outside the hospital, Eddie had wanted to blurt it out and tell Buck that the reason he wanted so desperately for Buck to somehow not be his brother’s boyfriend was because he liked him...he had feelings for him — feelings that he shouldn’t have for his brother’s boyfriend. 

There was nothing he could do about it. Buck and Andrew were together. Eddie had tried and failed to find a reason for why Buck might be lying but there was nothing and Eddie just had to resign himself to the fact that his brother was less than straight and that he’d somehow found the one man in all of LA that Eddie could fall for. 

“Daddy, are you okay?” 

Eddie looked to his son and smiled. “Yeah, kiddo. I’m all good.” 

They didn’t stay much longer at Andrew’s place because Eddie still did need to head to work. He packed Chris up in the truck and drove to Abuela’s. She was of course in the middle of baking something when they arrived.

“Es para Andrew,” Abuela said. “El se va a recordar de mi tres leches.” 

[“It’s for Andrew,” Abuela said. “He’ll remember my tres leches.”]

“Who wouldn’t,” Eddie said. “And can I expect a piece later?” 

“Claro, Eddito,” Abuela said. 

[“Of course, Eddito.”]

“Y tienes razón. Nadie puede olvidarse de tu tres leches. Nobody makes it like you. Anyway, I gotta go, abuela. But thanks for watching him today and don’t let him tire you out.”

[“You’re right. Nobody could forget your tres leches…”]

“I won’t, Ed. You be careful out there.” 

He let her kiss his cheek and bless him before he turned to Christopher. 

“Be good for abuela, kiddo. Promise?”

“I promise,” Christopher said with a big grin. 

“See you soon. Love you.” 

“Love you too, dad.” 

Hearing those words always made him feel amazing, like he could do anything at all. 

Eddie arrived at the station with time to spare somehow, but he headed in to get changed anyway. Hen was already there in the locker room.

“So, he’s awake,” she said. “I stopped by there earlier. He’s looking a lot better.” 

Eddie nodded as he changed his shirt. “I’m just glad he woke up before my parents left. We just have to wait for him to get his memory back, now.” 

Hen gave his shoulder a squeeze. “He’ll be back to normal in no time.”

The day turned out to be on the easier side. Easy routine calls. A girl stuck up a tree that they got down with no trouble, a pregnant teenager who went into labor at a friend’s house, a car crash with no major injuries but a woman stuck inside her car, and a restaurant with a grease fire. They somehow weren’t even interrupted during their dinner and between the calls they even had a bit of downtime.

Eddie filled everyone in on what was going on with Andrew and when they happened to be dropping off a woman experiencing a heart attack at the same hospital, they all went to the hospital room to stop by for a moment. 

“No kidding, then, I’m a firefighter,” Andrew said when he saw them walk in. 

Bobby was the first to introduce himself, shaking Andrew’s hand. Hen went in and hugged him and Chimney just nodded. 

“The uniform looks cool,” Andrew said. 

“Just wait until you’re wearing one,” Hen said. “Which will be soon.”

Andrew laughed at that. “Hopefully,” he said. 

“Not until you’re all better, son,” their mom said and Eddie rolled his eyes. She was so overprotective. 

When he met Andrew’s eyes, Andrew seemed to be sharing his expression which made Eddie really remember that this was his brother. 

They didn’t stay long, but Andrew seemed happy to see them even if it was clear he didn’t remember any of them all too well. No one knew how he would remember things — if it would be all at once or slowly. Amnesia was still such a weird mystery. 

They ran into Buck on their way out. He was holding flowers which made something in Eddie’s chest catch. If only Buck had been less attractive or more of a jerk or just obviously a bad person somehow everything would have been so much easier. 

Hen hugged Buck and Bobby pat his shoulder. Chim squeezed his arm. Eddie steered clear of him, not daring to touch him because he didn’t trust himself. Instead he just offered a smile that he hoped wasn’t too tight. 

—-

Buck didn’t know if they did it for his benefit or because they really did intend to leave, but Buck was surprised when Helena and Ramon got up to leave after he’d been with them for just a few minutes. Helena hugged and kissed his cheek and Ramon just nodded at him and shook his hand.

“We likely won’t be seeing you again for a little while,” Ramon said. “But it was lovely to meet you and to know our son has someone good at his side.” 

By a little while, they didn’t know that it would be forever. 

“Don’t hesitate to call us for anything, sweetie,” Helena added and then turned to Andrew. “We’ll be back tomorrow to say goodbye before we go so we’ll see you then.” 

And then they were gone and Buck felt the awkwardness fall on them. 

“So,” Andrew said.

Buck looked at him. He looked a lot better than he had the day before. His face was back to full color and he’d clearly gotten a moment to get cleaned up because he looked a lot better than someone that had been lying in a coma for the better part of a week. He’d even managed a shave. 

“You’re my boyfriend,” Andrew said. And then, “that sounds weird. Saying it like that, I mean.”

Buck didn’t breathe for a moment. 

Andrew shook his head. “I just — I don’t know, it sounds wrong. And not...I don’t know how, but I just don’t think I like men? But I don’t even know, right, because there’s stuff I’m missing and there’s well...there’s you.” 

And Buck needed to tell him the truth. He needed to explain and hope that Andrew wouldn’t hate him over it. Maybe Chimney was right and this was where he needed to start. Even if Andrew remembered nothing about his life, he could still tell that Buck was wrong — that he was a part that didn’t make sense. Because Buck didn’t belong. He wasn’t supposed to be a part of his life. Any of their lives. 

“But I’ll remember you. I know I will,” Andrew said. “They’ve told me all about you and I — maybe I just don’t know it yet, but you’d be good for me.”

Buck’s phone chose that moment to start ringing. 

“You should get that,” Andrew said. “I don’t mind.” 

Buck picked up without even looking at the number calling. “Hello?” Buck said and waited a moment. “Anyone there? This is Evan Buckley, who’s calling?” 

There was no response and then the line went dead. It was the same number from earlier. Strange. 

“What was that?” Andrew asked. 

“I have no idea,” Buck said. “Same number called me earlier and said nothing. Maybe I should call it back.” 

“Do that. Now I’m curious,” Andrew said. 

He did. It rang and rang and rang and then someone picked up and hung up. Whoever it was, there was a reason they were calling and a reason that they couldn’t say anything to him. The whole thing was sketchy and weird and Buck didn’t really have the time to deal with all of that.

“You should have Athena track the number,” Andrew said and he looked like he didn’t know where the words had come from. Had he even met Athena yet? 

Buck got his answer a moment later. 

“Who’s Athena?” 

Buck chuckled. “Look at that memory already coming back. She’s a friend of yours. She’s a Police Sergeant and married to Bobby,” Buck said and smiled at him. 

“I guess it is” Andrew said. “Weird.” 

There had been a time when Buck would have given anything to have a conversation with Andrew. He would have given anything to be able to sit and talk to him and see if there was anything further to explore between them. To even just know him. This Andrew was still just as attractive, but he had no memories of who he was and Buck didn’t have that pull anymore. Not in the same way. Or maybe it was just the guilt. 

“I should tell you something,” Buck said. He didn’t know how to do it, but he really did need to. 

“Is it about the dog?” Andrew asked. 

“What? Legolas? No...no it’s not about—”

Andrew interrupted. “Mom showed me pictures. And turns out I don’t like dogs.” 

The decisive way he said it made Buck realize that Andrew already knew. Well, no, he didn’t know the details of the lie or the complicated web that Buck had found himself in, but he probably already knew with surety that he wasn’t gay or bi. Just like he knew he didn’t like dogs. 

“You’re not wrong,” Buck said, “for thinking about—”

Buck was of course then interrupted. 

“Andrew!” It was Josh holding balloons because he had perfect timing. 

“Hi,” Andrew said and then to Buck, “who is this?” 

“Your best friend,” Buck said. 

Buck had no idea how Josh knew Andrew was awake since he hadn’t bothered to text or call him even though he should have. It was just that too much had happened for him to even think about Josh. When Josh looked at Buck with clear surprise in his eyes, he realized that it was probably shocking to find him there. 

“Andrew has amnesia,” Buck told him. 

“Oh. Wow,” Josh said with a chuckle that was probably at least partially aimed at Buck. “Didn’t expect that turn of events.” 

“I don’t think anyone did,” Andrew said with a laugh. 

“Nope,” Buck said. “Not at all.” 

—-

Andrew liked Buck. He hadn’t had a real chance to spend any time with him while his parents were hovering around all the time, so it had been nice when they left him and Buck alone. But as much as Andrew did like Buck, there was something missing when he looked at him. It was different than everyone else he’d met so far, even the 118 when they’d stopped by for a few minutes. They were familiar even if Andrew didn’t know them. With Buck, it was like coming up short right up against a wall. 

Andrew was also pretty sure that he didn’t like guys. His dad had said something about how unexpected it had been for them to learn that Andrew had a boyfriend. How Andrew hadn’t told any of them. His mom hadn’t let him continue that line of thought as if Andrew would find it offensive or something. Andrew could tell that she was overprotective and that it probably didn’t even have much to do with the accident. Eddie had sort of confirmed that for him. 

They had told him all about the accident, though, what they knew of it. How he’d gotten knocked over somehow and then how he’d almost gotten run over by a car except that Buck had saved him and wasn’t Buck wonderful? 

His mom had looked at him then as if waiting for Andrew to pipe in and agree when he knew nothing about Buck. Of course, he’d saved his life so that absolutely made him okay in his eyes. Somehow, he didn’t feel anything when it came to Buck, though. 

Maybe it was his lack of memories or just something else...there was no knowing. All Andrew knew was that he didn’t think he was into guys and that there was something strange about Buck. But Andrew had amnesia and there was a lot that didn’t make sense like the dog so he just didn’t know what to make of it. Or how to ask anyone about it. 

Spending some time with Buck, though, it made him realize a few things. That Buck didn’t act like a significant other. Or maybe he was just good at giving Andrew space. But he didn’t crowd Andrew or fuss over him or any of those things that a boyfriend might do. In some ways, he was almost a little standoffish. 

Then Josh showed up. Josh felt a little bit familiar but not more than anyone else. He claimed to be Andrew’s best friend and when he heard Buck say that, he knew it was true. 

“Well, man, it’s so good to see you awake at last,” Josh said. 

“Thanks,” Andrew said. 

Josh busied himself putting the balloons down and then he sat down. “And how is this being handled? Are we telling you things? Not telling you things...what’s the deal?” 

Josh was fast paced. He spoke quickly and with some strange enthusiasm that didn’t seem to fail him, but Andrew liked that about him. It seemed familiar and like it fit and that brought him back yet again to realizing that Buck really didn’t. 

“Telling him things,” Buck said. 

“Oh, good,” Josh said. “No need to censor myself, then.” 

“Do you ever?” Buck asked. 

Josh just shrugged and then he jumped into a story about a night when he and Josh had been out at a bar. 

“This is before the ball and chain,” Josh said and threw a look at Buck. “Sorry, Buck.” 

Buck tried and failed to look mock offended but then he motioned for Josh to continue his story and Andrew kept his eyes on Buck but he really and truly did not remember him. He wanted to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so first note: I love writing Andrew and I really wanted to hit at the idea that even when he doesn’t know, he knows. And I believe in the next chapter we get a really good Andrew and Buck scene that I’m excited about. 
> 
> Another thing: Tres Leches (the cake abuela is making) - this is a cake of Mexican origin if I'm not mistaken that is essentially your basic white sponge but it is then drenched in mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream for hours to create something truly moist and amazing. If you ever have the chance to try it out or want the recipe hit me up because I make it often and frost it with a fruit mousse and it’s always a hit. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/619208903582990336/im-with-you-11) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	12. Chapter 12

Instead of heading home when they were done with their shift, Chimney went to the hospital. He was tired which was the usual after a long shift, but he also knew that with Helena and Ramon heading back to Texas, that it would likely be the best time for him to get Andrew alone before anyone from the 118, Buck, or even Josh showed up. 

Andrew was still sleeping when Chimney entered his room, holding a cup from Coffee Time because they really did have the best coffee and Chimney had needed it if he was going to do this. He sat down by Andrew’s side and browsed through his phone. He played Candy Crush for a while and when that got boring he started looking through the news which was always a bit depressing.

A nurse came by to check on Andrew.

“Hi,” Chimney said. “No changes, right?” 

“No, nothing at all,” she said. 

Chimney nodded. It was another twenty minutes before Andrew woke up. He looked groggy and a bit confused, but then that seemed to be the state of him all the time these days. 

“Hey,” Chimney said. “How are you feeling?” 

“Like I haven’t left this bed in days,” Andrew said. 

Chimney chuckled. “And I’m sure the hospital food isn’t helping any.” 

“Chimney, right?” Andrew asked as he sat up and moved his pillows to support his back a bit better. 

“Got it in one,” Chimney said.

“Do I get to know why they call you that?” 

Chimney shook his head with a chuckle. “That will remain a mystery to you and your brother for just a while longer. Or maybe forever.” 

“Fine,” Andrew said. “So, we’re close, then? Everyone I work with?” 

Chimney nodded. “We’re family, kid. We’ve all been pretty worried about you but it seems you’re getting better. Are you remembering anything? Or is it still all a blank?” 

“I think I remember some things. It’s weird...I guess deja vu or something. Things and people are familiar to me. I remember things about myself, a little. After Eddie brought over my favorite book, I pretty much remembered the whole thing.”

“Right,” Chimney said. He didn’t know if this was the right thing or if it was even his place to bring it up, but Chimney wanted to help both Andrew and Buck. “So you know you’re straight, then?” 

Andrew frowned at him. “I’m — what about Buck?” 

“There was a misunderstanding,” Chimney said, watching Andrew closely. 

“How...what—”

Chimney took a breath. “A nurse got things mixed up and Buck did save you and he was worried you weren’t going to be okay and she got him in here because she thought he was your boyfriend.” 

“Holy shit,” Andrew said. “That’s insane and no one...no one thought to say anything about not knowing this guy? What the hell?”

Chimney nodded quickly. “I know, I know,” he said. 

“No. How does this happen? I mean...I don’t remember anything but you guys do. My family does. What happened exactly?” 

“Okay, so what happened is that before Buck could clear anything up the same nurse told everyone he was your boyfriend. She told Isabel and everyone just assumed you just hadn’t told anyone yet and I think it was because of your abuela that Buck didn’t feel he could say anything.”

Chimney waited him out. He didn’t know what to expect and Andrew seemed to be processing everything he’d heard. 

“That’s insane,” Andrew said eventually. 

“I know,” Chimney said. “I know it is, and he feels horrible about it. I’m the only one that knows. Well, Josh too.”

“So he’s just kept this going? And you let him?” Andrew asked. “I can’t — this is insane. Who does something like this?” 

Chimney was maybe reconsidering what he’d just done. Then again, the possibility that Andrew would react badly had always been there and maybe it was better that Chimney was getting the reaction instead of Buck. 

“Look,” Chim said, “I only found out because I overheard him talking to you while you were in the coma and the thing is that Buck didn’t intend to end up in this situation and that everyone’s made it hard for him in one way or another. He has no one and then there we were welcoming him in without even knowing him just on the basis that he was your boyfriend. Your aunt and grandmother have been doting on him from day one. Athena and Bobby like him. Hen is always worrying about him. And he’s not someone that’s had people for a while. But Buck has always known it would end once you woke up. Once everyone knows—”

“They’ll be angry,” Andrew finished for him. “And rightly so. I don’t...I don’t really remember everyone but they’ve been lied to.” 

“By someone sweet and nice that didn’t mean any harm. Someone that saved your life, Andrew. And maybe...maybe you can find a way to repay at least that. Or just...give him a chance. Please.” 

Andrew was silent for a long moment again and Chimney used the time to finish off the last of his coffee. He saw the way that Andrew’s eyes followed the cup with some familiarity. 

“What, pretend to be his boyfriend? When I’m not into men at all? Chimney this just...it isn’t going to work...I don’t know what you want me to do.”

Chimney really hadn’t thought the whole thing through. He just had known that he had to do something to make it easier on Buck somehow. 

“I guess I’m hoping you’ll make it easier on Buck somehow because he’s already going to be dealing with the wrath of your brother if this all comes out. He’s been questioning this whole thing from the start and I don’t know if he wants to be right or not but either way—”

“He’ll lash out,” Andrew said almost absentmindedly. 

—-

When Buck checked his phone when he went on his break, he found three missed calls from the same number that had called him before but no messages. He tried calling back again but no one picked up and the voicemail was generic and gave nothing away. Buck was very close to just blocking the number entirely and not dealing with it. But that was something for a later time. Buck sat down at one of the tables closer to the counter and started nibbling on his croissant. They had no customers at the moment and Buck wasn’t surprised when Ali walked around the counter and joined him. 

“So, what’s happening on the fake coma ridden boyfriend with a hot brother front?” 

Buck chuckled and rolled his eyes. “He’s awake for one thing. I think I texted you about it.”

“Yeah,” Ali said, “and I appreciated all the detail you gave me too.” 

“He has amnesia,” Buck said. 

“That, I did not see coming. So you’ve been saved to live another day of your fake life.” 

Buck groaned and he dropped his forehead on the table. “It’s the worst. I have to tell them. I have to tell him. It’s just so damn hard.”

“I’ve been telling you to tell them for ages, Buck,” Ali said. 

“Yeah, well…” 

Buck wasn’t too surprised when his phone rang again and there was no one on the line. It was odd and as much as he wanted to just block the number and not have to deal with it, Buck was definitely considering going to Athena and seeing if she could track the number somehow. Buck had an idea that it might have been Abby and that she was trying to build up the courage to say something. He didn’t know if he wanted that or not. He was mostly leaning on not. And it wasn’t that Buck wouldn’t have appreciated more closure on the Abby front, but more that he just didn’t care to dredge all of that up again. His life was already chaotic enough as it was. 

When Buck ended his shift, after Ali tried to list the number of reasons why he should tell Andrew the truth, Buck didn’t head to the hospital, but to Petco because Legolas was out of dog food and it was really up to him if that dog got taken care of which Buck didn’t mind in the least. After it was all over and he couldn’t see Legolas again, Buck was considering getting a dog of his own. If nothing else, the companionship would be nice. 

For some reason, he couldn’t find the same brand of dog food that Andrew had at the house. So he started doing research right there in the aisle trying to figure out what an alternative could be. It felt silly to care so much about a bag of dog food for a dog that he probably wouldn’t see in a week’s time. In the end, he picked one with good reviews online and because Legolas deserved a treat, he bought him a couple of the cans of wet dog food of the same brand. And then he picked up a few dog biscuits too. Even if he was going to have to stop seeing Legolas eventually, Buck figured he would let Legolas know he did love him in at least one way. 

The hospital was closer than Andrew’s house so that’s where Buck went next and as he parked his Jeep, he felt nervous and weird, but he walked in anyway and headed to the room. He was surprised when he found Andrew all alone. Buck had expected to find at least Pepa there since he knew Helena and Ramon had gone back home to Texas. 

Andrew shot him a smile when he entered. “Hey, Buck,” he said. 

“Hi,” Buck said. “How are you doing today?” 

“I’m good,” Andrew said. “I’m not remembering anything still, but I’m good...you know while being in a hospital and all that.” 

It was a bit awkward. Buck didn’t really know Andrew and to Andrew, Buck was just as much a stranger too. Except that Andrew was also under the impression that Buck was his boyfriend. 

“Did you work today?” Andrew asked. 

Buck nodded. “Yeah, I did. I’m a barista so I was up pretty early in the morning.”

Andrew looked surprised to hear that. 

“What?” Buck asked. 

“I just...for some reason I thought maybe you were a firefighter too. Just — the way my mom talked about how you helped me during the accident and then I think it was...Hen, Hen said you jumped in to give someone CPR. So I figured you were one too. It...it made sense to me.” 

Buck chuckled and shook his head. “No,” he said. “I’m not—”

“Maybe you should be,” Andrew said. “I don’t remember much, but I know what it’s like to be a firefighter and a lot about fire science. My brother was quizzing me and it’s weird how I know things like that but not like stuff about my own life. But, anyway, maybe you’d be good at it.” 

He would never know. Logically, Buck knew that he wouldn’t need to work with the 118 if he ever did decide to try and become a firefighter. Actually, the likelihood of being assigned there probably depended on a number of different variables. Buck was sure that things wouldn’t end well and that the best thing for him to do would be to remove himself and let things go back to how they were and it would be painful if he was inspired to become a first responder with the reminder of them hanging over him. 

“I don’t know,” Buck said with a shrug. “Your parents left today, right?” 

“Uh, yes. Texas. I grew up there...wasn’t expecting that.”

Buck chuckled. “Why?” 

Andrew just shrugged. “I don’t know. So, um, can you tell me about yourself?” 

“Like what?” Buck asked. 

“Well so far I know you’re a barista. I probably should know a lot more about my boyfriend, don’t you think?” There was something like a challenge in Andrew’s voice. 

His boyfriend. It was hard hearing Andrew say that like it was fact and not the biggest lie that Buck had ever told and kept going in his life. And it was an opening for Buck to correct it and tell the truth but it was as if he had something stuck in his throat because he couldn’t say it. The words wouldn’t come out. He was a coward. 

“I have an older sister,” Buck found himself saying instead and he didn’t know why his first thought was Maddie. 

“Ah, so you relate to the little brother conundrum,” Andrew said. 

“Sorta. I guess. I haven’t seen her in a while. Eddie thinks I should just go and show up at her house and demand she see me. He says your family is pushy that way. But that’s not about me — you want to know about me.” Buck tried to think of something interesting. “I, um, I lived in South America for a while.” 

“Know any Spanish?” 

“Un poco,” Buck said. “Like very little. Enough to get by.” 

[“A little…”]

Andrew chuckled. “So you need to practice, then,” he said. “And what did you do in South America?” 

It felt a little bit like he was being questioned, but then Buck supposed that Andrew just wanted to know more about the people that were supposed to have some sort of meaning in his. 

“I went on a whim and when I ran out of money I ended up bartending. I had no idea what else to do, then.” 

“And you’re still doing that,” Andrew said. “Barista isn’t far from bartending, is it? It’s not what you want, I can tell. So what was it, what was the unattainable dream?” 

Andrew was different from Eddie. He was straight forward and weirdly observant. 

“Go on, tell me, it’s the least that I should know about you.” 

Andrew raised an eyebrow at him as if to challenge Buck into telling him and Buck sighed. “I don’t think I ever knew what I wanted. Other than to get away from my parents. And then, I thought the Navy Seals but that didn’t work out.”

“And like I said, you should be a firefighter,” Andrew said with a smile. He really was still as attractive as ever. 

“I’ll think about it,” Buck said. 

“So you were in the Navy, then? I mean...to join the Seals? Was that before or after the bartending?”

Buck shook his head. “Um, no. You don’t have to be in the Navy...just have to prove you can be particularly badass, I guess. Which I am. But being able physically is different than mentally and than being able to just blindly follow. And that’s what they want, they want someone that can just turn off emotion and do whatever needs to be done and no amount of good that can come of that ever felt right for me.”

Andrew nodded slowly. He didn’t respond at once. “You want to help people,” he said eventually. “And you don’t want to be a firefighter?” 

Buck chuckled. When put like that, it did sound like becoming a firefighter was the natural course of things. 

“Somehow,” Andrew said, “I think this should have been a conversation we had before. But it’s not, is it?” 

Buck shook his head. At least that wasn’t a lie. Andrew nodded to himself and he seemed to be trying to figure out what to say next. 

“I was looking through that photo album,” Andrew said eventually. “There’s a news clipping in there from when I was a teenager. I saved someone from a fire. My mom told me about it but after I read the clipping it all came back to me.” 

“Oh,” Buck said. 

“It’s just I saved that woman,” Andrew said. “I remember it clearly. Running in and grabbing her and how hot it was. The smoke. But...I also started the fire.”

Buck hadn’t expected that. He also had no idea how to respond. 

“I know, crazy. I never told anyone. It wasn’t...it wasn’t like I did it on purpose or anything but I was the reason it happened in the first place. I was hanging out with this girl and we were being stupid teenagers and didn’t even realize what we did but we got out and then she realized her mom was still inside.”

“So you ran back in,” Buck said, watching him. 

Andrew gave a short nod and he ran his hand through his hair, his fingers getting caught where it was tangled. Before he could stop himself, Buck was up and reaching to help him get his fingers back. He lingered there, not quite looking at Andrew until his gaze fell down on him and he was surprised to see Andrew’s eyes on him too. Andrew was watching him, curiously. 

“Sorry,” Buck said, letting his hand go and moving back to sit. “So, um, you ran back in?” 

“Yeah,” Andrew said as if that moment a few seconds ago could be thrown aside and forgotten. “I got her out and then the firefighters arrived and they were all thanking me and telling me how good a job I had done and it was horrible when it all happened because I was being a dumbass. And my mom, she was the worst of them once she heard. She’s been telling that story forever and it only got worse once I decided to become a firefighter. I could never tell her. Never told anyone.”

“You’re telling me,” Buck said. “Why?” 

Andrew shrugged and then he reached over and grabbed Buck’s hand. “You’re my boyfriend, aren’t you?” He asked. 

Buck felt like all the breath had been pulled from his body, that someone had gripped him so tightly that it was all just expelled out of him. Andrew’s expectant look was almost cruel, but cruel only because Buck was lying and Buck deserved to be treated like the liar that he was. 

“And I guess, I’m telling you because if I can do this, so can you. I can see it, the self-doubt. So you couldn’t make it as a Navy Seal...doesn’t mean you have to stop trying to be something else. And if it’s helping people that you’re interested in? Why not this?” 

“Thanks,” Buck said for lack of something better to say and suddenly realized that Andrew was holding his hand. “I don’t—”

He trailed off when he heard someone running out in the hall and then in the next moment Denny ran into the room followed by Karen and Hen. Buck pulled his hand back from Andrew. He felt weirdly like he’d been burned. 

“Buckaroo!” Hen cried. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” 

A while was a few days, but Hen walked over to him and hugged him as if they had been lifelong friends and she hadn’t seen him in weeks or months. 

“And here I thought I was the one in the hospital,” Andrew said with a smile. 

Hen turned and hugged him next. “You, I am so glad you’re okay even if you don’t remember anything at all. Not even your lovely boyfriend.” 

“Hi, Buck,” Karen said and gave him a quick hug.

“Hi,” Buck said. 

Although Denny had run into the room, he’d stopped at the foot of the hospital bed as if waiting for someone to notice him and since Hen was busy fussing over Andrew and Karen seemed to be trying to make her stop, it was Buck that motioned for him. 

“Hey, kiddo,” he said. 

“Hi,” Denny said, but he moved closer. “Is he okay?” 

“Andrew...yeah, he’ll be just fine.”

Karen intervened then, bringing Denny even closer and Andrew turned and smiled at him but even Buck could tell that it was a little bit strained and that he didn’t seem to know what to say to Denny but he managed and then Karen drew Denny away. 

“Still bad with kids,” Hen said with a chuckle. 

“Unlike Buck here,” Andrew said. 

Buck shrugged his shoulders. “I like kids,” he said and he remembered suddenly that Eddie had told him once that Andrew didn’t. Maybe all of that was instinctual for him. 

“That’s because you’re practically a kid too,” Hen said to Buck and it was hard to remember that Hen barely knew him. 

“Thanks, Hen,” Buck said. 

—-

His house felt different with his parents gone. Eddie also found that his mother had cleaned the place up to her liking before she left. She’d done his laundry and put away his clothes and moved everything from where it was supposed to go. His bathroom cabinet was rearranged and so it seemed was his closet. What Eddie couldn’t figure out was when she’d had time for any of it with how often she was at the hospital all day long. Christopher’s room even looked impeccable which was saying something because Chris wasn’t a messy kid but he was still a kid. 

Eddie had been tasked with dropping them off at the airport earlier with promises that he would call every day with updates on Andrew. They were planning on returning soon but they were less anxious now that Andrew was actually awake. 

“I’m gonna miss grandma and grandpa,” Christopher said. 

“They’ll be back soon, kiddo,” Eddie said.

Eddie could admit to himself that it was nice to spend some time at home with Christopher after how chaotic the last week had been. He’d promised his mom that he would go visit Andrew later so he could give her an update, but he waited until right before dinner time to go so he could stop and pick up burgers for dinner since he was sure Andrew was sick of the hospital food. 

“You are the best,” Andrew said when he and Christopher arrived and Eddie showed him the bag of food. 

“Not me?” Christopher asked. 

Andrew chuckled. “You’re always on top, little man.” 

Eddie set Chirstopher up so he could eat and not make much of a mess of himself while he sat next to his brother to eat. 

“How’s it been around here? Quieter without mom and dad, I bet.” 

“A bit,” Andrew admitted. “Not too bad. Chimney visited earlier and Buck. Hen and Karen stopped by while Buck was here too.” 

“And your head? Feeling okay?” 

Andrew nodded. “Same, really. Still hurting a bit but nothing to worry about. And I’m remembering a few things...or kind of being reminded of some things. Why all the questions?” 

“So I don’t have to guess at things when mom questions everything I tell her when she calls. She should really be calling you. Where’s your phone anyway?” 

It was the first time that Eddie had considered where Andrew’s things had gone. Too much had been going on for anyone to notice that somewhere along the way Andrew’s phone and likely his wallet had disappeared. Unless the hospital passed it on to someone. Maybe Pepa or Abuela since they were the first ones with Andrew after the accident. 

“I’ll ask Pepa about it tomorrow,” Eddie said. “And maybe your phone will give you more of a clue as to who you are.” 

“Maybe,” Andrew said. 

Eddie stuck around for a little over an hour but he couldn’t stay any longer if he wanted to get Christopher in bed at a decent hour. Andrew didn’t seem to mind when Eddie told him they were leaving since he was looking a bit tired and like he wanted to go to sleep. So they said goodbye, Christopher insisting on hugging his uncle. 

Once they made it back home, Eddie sent Christopher to get ready for bed and then he tucked him in and read a story until his son was passed out. He stayed on the phone with his parents for a while afterwards when they called to check in about Andrew and then he also got himself into bed. It was going to be an early morning the next day since he had to get Christopher over to Abuela’s house before his shift started. 

The next morning began with a missed call from Pepa and a voice mail: 

“Eddie, hey, listen. I’m currently enroute to the hospital because—”

Andrew. It had to be Andrew. Something had to have happened with him overnight. 

“—your abuela fell down.”

Eddie hadn’t expected that. It made a lump rise in his throat. He let the rest of the message play out. 

“I don’t know what happened or how she is yet but she told me it wasn’t a big deal. Just wanted to let you know. I’ll call or text later with more details.” 

Eddie closed his eyes for a long moment. He could tell by Pepa’s voice that there was nothing to worry about. Abuela would be fine. It was just that she liked to push herself and she didn’t like to ask for her. It was one of the reasons that Eddie usually hesitated in leaving Christopher with her for long periods of time. She was getting on in age and looking after a kid required some energy even one like Christopher that didn’t move all that fast. But without her, Eddie knew he would have never gotten anything done since she was retired and usually home unless she was out with Pepa. Mostly, Eddie left Christopher with Abuela when he worked twenty four hour shifts but even then, it was for the night so that an adult was around just in case Christopher needed something. That’s why Eddie had Carla — the home aid that Andrew had found for him when Eddie had moved to LA — but Carla was away visiting with her husband’s family out of state. In some ways it had been perfect that his parents were around the one week that Eddie was going to have child care issues. 

After talking to Pepa he found out that Abuela had fallen while doing some cleaning and that she was going to be fine but needed to stay at the hospital for at least the day. Pepa would stay with her and check in on Andrew too. It was a relief to hear she’d be okay, but it still left Eddie with a problem. 

Eddie spent a good chunk of his morning trying to find someone to watch Christopher but none of his cousins were available and Pepa was already dealing with Abuela at the hospital and short of leaving Christopher at the hospital with Andrew he had no one. It was out of desperation that he called Athena, wondering if she was working for the day or not. As it turned out, she was already at work and Eddie was lucky she picked up his call at all. 

“I guess I’ll have to let Bobby know I won’t be coming in,” Eddie said. 

“Or you could call Buck,” Athena said. “Seemed to me he and Christopher got along. I’m sure he’d be happy to look after him for the day.” 

It was a twelve hour shift. It wouldn’t be overnight but Eddie would be getting back late. He didn’t know if he wanted to impose on Buck but he was running out of options. 

“Thanks, Athena. I guess — it can’t hurt to ask.”

“It can’t,” Athena said. 

He called Buck as soon as he was off the phone with Athena before he could change his mind because he hadn’t exactly been nice to Buck the last few times he’d seen him. Buck answered after a second ring. 

“Hello,” he said.

“Buck, hi. It’s Eddie. Listen, I need a favor and I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate.” Eddie stood up from his couch where he had been perched and moved to the window. 

“Yeah, what is it?” Buck asked. 

“I was wondering if you could watch Christopher for the day. It’s just that Abuela fell this morning. I don’t really have the details but she’s at the hospital and Pepa said it was minor. Anyway, she was supposed to watch him and can’t and I really have no one else. I’ll understand if you can’t or if you just don’t want to. I know watching a kid is a lot and—”

Buck cut him off. “I’d love to. I’m not working today and I had no plans other than going over to feed Legolas and maybe the hospital. And like I said, I love kids, man. Yours especially. He’s adorable.” 

And of course Buck said yes. That was just who he was. Eddie shouldn’t have expected anything less, but he was still relieved. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I can — I can drop him off at your place if you want?”

Buck chuckled on the other side of the phone. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll text you my address.”

It was that easy and that simple. And the thing about it was that he’d known Buck for about a week and he trusted him. He trusted this man that was practically a stranger in so many ways to watch his son without any qualms at all and somehow it didn’t feel out of place. 

Eddie went to wake Christopher when it was time and together they got ready for the day and then Eddie told him he was going to be spending the day with Buck. They packed up a bag full of anything that Christopher might need to keep himself entertained and then Eddie packed him a few snacks too just in case and a change of clothes and a few band-aids for good measure. 

It turned out that Buck’s place wasn’t all that far from his place, so they made it there in no time and walked up to the apartment building and then inside. The building had an elevator at least so going up a few floors didn’t mean that Eddie was stuck climbing stairs and holding Christopher the whole way along with his stuff and his crutches. In general the building was nice. Newer and maybe even pricey which made Eddie wonder about how Buck was affording it when he was just a barista. His car was nice too and one of the newer Jeep models. It was yet another curious thing about Buck...another part of him that didn’t make a lot of sense. 

Buck opened the door after one knock, smiling. A halo of light surrounded him from the window behind Buck and Eddie almost couldn’t look away from how much it highlighted the light sprinkling of freckles on his face and made his hair look lighter. 

“Hey,” Buck said. 

“Hi,” Eddie said. 

Christopher stepped forward and Buck immediately dropped a hand into his hair. “Hey, kiddo. I guess it’s me and you for the day. We’re gonna have so much fun.” 

Christopher giggled. “Cool,” he said. 

“Not too much fun and not too much sugar either,” Eddie said. Christopher rolled his eyes. To Buck, Eddie whispered. “Seriously, you don’t want to deal with a hyper kid.” 

Buck stepped back to let him in and Christopher made himself at home, walking into the apartment and making a beeline for the couch and the tv. Eddie dropped Christopher’s things on Buck’s table and he rattled off an explanation on what was inside. 

“And you can call me any time okay. I’ll be at work but I’ll answer.”

“I think we’ll be okay, worrywart.” Buck said. “I’ll text you pictures, okay.” 

“Okay,” Eddie said and then he ran towards where Christopher was so he could hug him goodbye. “Be good for Buck, okay?” 

“Okay, daddy.” 

“Love you.” To Buck as he went back to the door he said, “thank you again. I really — I had no one else.”

“I’m happy to help. Don’t worry about it. Go be a hero.” 

Eddie gave him a nod and he left the apartment and for some reason he really didn’t feel worried. He trusted Buck that much. There were few people that Eddie did trust with Christopher and most of them were family. Buck was different. It should have been odd and strange to feel that way, but instead Eddie just felt grateful to have Buck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...Andrew knows...and he’s a little shit. Things are happening guys and next up some Chris and Buck bonding. 
> 
> Let me know what you all thought!
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/619584133026512896/im-with-you-12) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting this one up. Enjoy. :)

“So, what do you like to do, Christopher?” Buck asked. 

Christopher shrugged. He’d already gotten ahold of Buck’s tv remote and he’d both turned the tv on and put on some cartoons. So maybe things would be just that easy with Christopher. 

“Well, we can watch tv for a while, if you want,” Buck said. 

Buck couldn’t remember the last time that he’d babysat any kid, but it wasn’t hard and it especially wasn’t hard with Christopher who seemed content for a while to watch tv. He checked over all of Christopher’s bags and found that Eddie had really overpacked. There were toys — legos, and books, crayons, and a couple of stuffed animals too. Plenty to keep Christopher entertained and busy which was good because Buck owned nothing that would have kept Christopher from getting bored. 

“Buck,” Christopher said, “are you gonna marry my uncle?” 

Buck was holding the stuffed elephant from Christopher’s bag and he couldn’t help the reflex of squeezing it at the unexpected question. 

“I don’t know, kid,” Buck said after a beat. 

“Abuela said you’re his boyfriend,” Christopher said and tilted his head as he looked at Buck. 

It felt wrong to lie to a kid. So he settled for a nod and then, “sorta.” 

Christopher nodded and Buck didn’t think he actually fully understood. He was just repeating what he’d heard from his abuela and maybe trying to understand where Buck fit in with everything. 

“Hey, do you want something to eat?” 

“No,” Christopher said. “So you’re not gonna be my uncle?” 

“I don’t know, kiddo,” Buck said and he sat down next to him and ruffled his hair. “What are we watching?”

It was some sort of kid’s tv-show that Buck was unfamiliar with, but it seemed to hold Christopher’s attention. 

They watched tv for a while until Christopher got bored and asked for his legos. He didn’t seem to be intent on actually building anything. It was more about putting blocks together. Some of the things he showed to Buck and Buck just smiled at him and encouraged him to keep playing. It was cute. Too cute. He was sitting on the floor with his legos all over the floor just doing whatever he wanted and Buck just watched him until Christopher told him he was thirsty. 

“Water or juice?” 

“Juice please.” 

Buck had apple juice that he usually watered down even for himself because it was too sweet so he did the same for Christopher and because he was already in the kitchen he cut an orange into slices and brought it over for Christopher to snack on. 

“Thanks, Buck.” 

He was so polite. Buck wondered if that had come from Eddie or from another family member, maybe even the estranged mother. 

“Buck,” Christopher said eventually, “can we visit your dog?” 

“Legolas? Well, he’s not really my dog. He’s your uncle Andrew’s but sure. He’s probably hungry.” 

“Can I feed him?” Christopher asked and his eyes lit up. 

Before Eddie had asked him to watch Christopher, Buck had intended on going over to feed Legolas because he knew his days with the dog were numbered, and then he’d wanted to go and visit Andrew...but he didn’t mind having the excuse of watching Christopher from keeping him away from the hospital. 

“Sure, kiddo. Just eat the orange, alright. I’m going to get shoes and we can go.”

To help him out, Buck grabbed one of the orange slices and put the whole thing in his mouth. Christopher was watching and he giggled, throwing his head to the side a little. Buck often felt a little concerned about Christopher’s movements but he knew it was the CP and something that Christopher just couldn’t help, so he made himself realize that for Christopher it was all normal. 

“See something funny?” 

“Maybe,” Christopher said and giggled again. It was one of the sweetest giggles that Buck had ever heard. He really did love kids a lot. 

As he walked upstairs, Buck checked his phone. He had a missing call from a random number and Buck really did need to get someone to look into it for him. But he was distracted by texts from Eddie. 

**How’s everything going?**  
**You guys okay?**  
**He’s not giving you too much trouble, right?**

Buck couldn’t help but smile. The way that Eddie cared about Christopher and loved Christopher, it warmed his heart. He was just such a good dad and it had been obvious from the moment that Buck met him. Buck couldn’t ever not appreciate that about him especially since he was doing so much on his own and Christopher was this wonderful kid. 

**We’re fine.**  
**Going to stop by Andrew’s to see Legolas.**  
**By Christopher’s request.**  
**That’s okay right? That I take him out?**

Buck was a little surprised when he got a response right away. He supposed that Eddie wasn’t out dealing with an emergency. 

**Yes, Buck. It’s fine.**  
**I trust you with him.**  
**And he loves that dog.**  
**I’m actually a little worried that Andrew isn’t more interested in the dog.**

Buck was too. Legolas deserved an owner that cared about him. 

**Once he remembers I’m sure he’ll be interested.**  
**There’s a reason he got him right?**

Eddie answered right away again. 

**Maybe. Idk.**  
**Thanks again, Buck.**

Buck hadn’t allowed himself to give much thought to how things had gone at the hospital with Andrew the day before. It had been strange in retrospect how open Andrew had been with him and how easily he had been able to read Buck with all the pushing for Buck to join the LAFD. One thing that Buck was kind of sure of was that Eddie was right in saying that Andrew wasn’t too interested in Legolas. Something that might change later unless there was some other reason for why he had a dog but Buck couldn’t begin to figure that out. 

Buck grabbed his shoes, slipped his wallet in his pocket, and then ran downstairs. Christopher had finished the juice and eaten most of the orange slices. 

“Can we go, Buck?” 

“Sure, kid,” Buck said. He grabbed the cup and the plate with the two remaining orange slices and put another in his mouth to more of Christopher’s giggles when he brought just the rind down. 

He ate the other before leaving the plate in the sink. 

“Do you need to bring anything with you?” Buck asked, glancing at the bags that Eddie had brought with him as if his kid was spending more than just a day with Buck. 

Christopher shrugged. “Not really.” 

“I’m taking your word for it, kid. Anyway, we’re just going to see the dog so we’ll be back here soon. Come on.” 

It was hard not to step in and help Christopher with his crutches, but he managed without any trouble and then he just waited and let him go out the door first.

It was when they got to the car that Buck realized that Christopher probably required a booster seat of some kind but obviously Buck didn’t have any. He had a silent freak out while he wondered if it was okay to actually bring Christopher in his car without one but Christopher didn’t seem to care and Buck figured that it wasn’t far to Andrew’s and he would just be careful as he drove. 

—-

“Who are you texting so much today?” Chim asked. 

Eddie glanced up at him from his phone. Buck had just sent him a picture of Christopher and Legolas. 

“Buck,” Eddie said. “He’s watching Christopher today.” 

Chim raised an eyebrow and even Hen glanced at him. 

“What?” Eddie asked. 

“Well, you really didn’t like him at first and now you’re just letting him watch your kid,” Hen said. “The same kid that you’re overprotective over.

Eddie set down his phone and looked at them. The last thing that Eddie wanted to do was let them know how he felt. Andrew was awake and he seemed to be as taken with Buck as everyone else and that could only mean that once he did have his memories back that he would remember loving Buck. Eddie couldn’t get in the middle of that. He wouldn’t. It didn’t matter that it would inevitably hurt him, the last thing he wanted was to hurt his brother who maybe could benefit from finally having a real relationship.

“I was wrong, okay?” Eddie said. “Andrew needs to explain himself once he remembers but Buck’s a good guy.” 

Hen grinned. “He is,” she said. 

Chimney nodded as well and Eddie didn’t understand why he also looked thoughtful, like he was trying to figure something out when he looked at Eddie. Eddie hoped it wasn’t because Chimney suspected something about how Eddie felt about Buck. Eddie was distracted from that when his phone vibrated in his hand. 

It was another picture. This time a selfie where Christopher was out on the grass with Buck, laughing. Christopher’s eyes were closed and his mouth was wide open mid-laugh and Buck was next to him, propped up and squinting due to the sun. His traitorous mind couldn’t help but imagine a world where things were different and Andrew wasn’t with Buck and Eddie had a chance. It made Eddie feel strange, his stomach churning a little, so he clicked out of it and didn’t bother to text Buck back. In the next moment they had a call and they were all rushing down to the trucks and he didn’t have time to think about Buck again for a little while. 

It was when they were getting back and he’d checked his phone again that he saw there were a few more pictures. Chimney leaned over to look. 

“Ah, so he’s using the dog as a babysitting tool. Smart man.” 

Eddie chuckled. 

“I still don’t get the whole dog thing,” Chimney added. “Doesn’t Andrew hate dogs?”

“He really didn’t like that dog we rescued a while back,” Bobby said. 

“Buck doesn’t,” Eddie said. 

Chimney opened and closed his mouth. “I don’t think he got the dog for Buck.” 

“No,” Eddie agreed. “Buck never really explained it when I asked. I don’t think he knew...he was really vague.”

“I’m sure he didn’t,” Chimney said. 

“Not to mention that Andrew would never get a dog just for a boyfriend. Not even Buck,” Eddie said. Although maybe that was it...maybe Andrew loved Buck enough to overlook his dislike for dogs.

Eddie tried to push away the jealousy that reared up. The way that Chimney looked at him made Eddie wonder if Chimney knew or if he somehow suspected that Eddie liked Buck more than he’d let on at first. Maybe it was possible that Eddie wasn’t as subtle as he’d first thought. And then, as they were getting off the trucks back at the station, the world started to shake. 

Everything was chaos. Things were falling and shaking. This was the third earthquake that Eddie had felt since moving to LA and it still left him rattled when it was over and they could see the damage it left in its wake but Eddie’s first thought was Christopher and he scrambled for his phone, calling Buck. Buck didn’t pick up on the first few rings. And then it stopped ringing and didn’t even go to voicemail.

“Shit,” Eddie said. He tried calling again even as he heard Bobby start giving out orders.

They were sure to be called out soon, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t use the minutes before it happened to make sure that nothing had fallen or been damaged that they might need later out on the call. He helped with making sure none of their tanks were damaged. He could see Hen checking the ambulance. There was still a lot more to take care of within the station itself, but dispatch was sending them out and that was more important. 

They rushed back onto the truck and Eddie felt his phone burning in his pocket. When he tried to call Buck again the call didn’t even go through. Cell phone towers were probably down. That’s all that it was. He had to tell himself that and believe it. 

“I can’t get ahold of Buck,” Eddie said. 

“Christopher is fine,” Hen said. She was looking at her phone too. Worried about Karen and Denny. He was sure that Bobby was feeling the same about Athena, May, and Harry. But the job had to come first for them. Christopher was with Buck and Eddie trusted Buck to take care of him. It didn’t mean that his worry disappeared, but it meant that Eddie could shove it to the side because he needed to do his job. 

—-

The first sign that something was wrong was Legolas. People always said that dogs could sense things before they happened. Buck hadn’t expected it to be true. 

Buck and Christopher spent a good chunk of time outside with Legolas until Buck figured that it was a good idea to get some lunch into Christopher and either way he could tell that Christopher was getting tired. So they headed inside and Buck brought Christopher over to where Legolas’ plate was kept. He checked his phone to see if Eddie had texted back after the last few pictures he’d sent him but there was nothing likely because he was busy working. Buck dropped his phone on the counter. 

“Are we gonna feed him, Buck?”

Buck nodded. “Yup.”

Buck usually just poured the food from the bag directly into Legolas’ plate, but he looked around the kitchen and found a small plastic bowl. 

“Okay, so you just get some food and put it on his place,” Buck said, tilting the bag towards Christopher so he could reach. 

It was a bit messy and kibble was going everywhere, but Christopher seemed to be enjoying himself but Buck couldn’t help but notice that Legolas wasn’t wiggling around and trying to get at the food and instead he seemed to be pacing and sniffing the air, his ears moving as if he were listening for something. 

Then, Legolas started barking. He nudged at Buck’s legs one moment, almost making him drop the dog food and then he paused in front of Christopher, head tilted as if he were listening to something and then he took off just narrowly avoiding bumping into Christopher’s crutches. 

“Legolas! What is—”

“Is he okay, Buck?” Chris asked. 

“I don’t know, kid, but—” 

Christopher was standing right by Buck and when everything started shaking. One of Christopher’s crutches slid on the floor. Buck dropped the bag of dog food, grabbing Christopher as the cabinets opened up and things were falling. Something hit Buck on the shoulder but he shielded Christopher and got them out of the kitchen to the door frame out of the kitchen and into the living room. He clutched Christopher to him. 

“What’s happening?” Christopher asked. 

He looked scared, but he wasn’t crying and his arms were holding onto Buck’s neck with a tight grip. 

“Earthquake,” Buck said. “It will be over soon. It’s gonna be okay. I got you.” 

The worst part about it was hearing things falling on the second floor, shaken off of wherever they were sitting and making noises that Christopher kept getting startled at. Even though the earthquake must have lasted no more than a few minutes, it felt like it went on for much longer. Christopher’s face was pressed into his neck and he was whimpering a little towards the end and Buck could just hold onto him until everything came to a stop. 

Things were broken and thrown about and there was plaster dust from where the walls had cracked a bit but Buck figured that things could have been worse. He held onto Christopher a little longer. 

“It stopped shaking,” Christopher said and Buck loosened his hold so he could get a look at him. 

He was okay. 

“And that, kid, was an earthquake,” Buck said, trying to keep calm. Christopher was okay. That’s what mattered. “Ever been through one before?” 

“I think so,” Christopher said. “Buck, I wanna talk to my daddy.” 

“Yes. Yes, we should call him. And you’re okay, right?”

Christopher nodded and Buck searched for his phone in his pockets. Buck’s phone wasn’t in his pocket though. He remembered leaving it on the counter in the kitchen while he was pouring the food. It had to be in there in that mess. Slowly he set Christopher down. 

“Okay, kid, just wait here and I’ll go find my phone and we can call your dad. He’s probably worried about you too.” 

“Okay,” Christopher said. 

Without his crutches which were also somewhere in the kitchen, Christopher just leaned against the door frame and waited. 

Buck didn’t have a hard time finding his phone, but the screen was cracked, shattered more like so that even when he clicked the power button and the screen came on, he could barely make anything but light out and he cut his finger trying to press anything on there, leaving a blood stain on the phone. 

“Looks like my phone is broken, Christopher,” Buck said. 

“Oh, no,” Christopher said and his face was doing a thing where it was scrunching up and he looked like he was going to start crying and Buck was not prepared to deal with that. 

Buck grabbed Christopher’s crutches and walked back. “Hey, Christopher, look at me. I’m sure your dad is okay. He’s a firefighter, right, so he knows what to do when there’s an emergency. Now, important question, do you know your dad’s phone number?” 

Because Buck didn’t. Christopher gave a nod. 

“Okay. Good, that’s good.” 

Buck had to think quickly. His best bet was finding someone that had a working phone to try and call Eddie and let him know that Christopher was okay. Buck had been through a few earthquakes since moving to California but it didn’t make him used to them. What he did know was that there would likely be some sort of aftershock afterwards sometime in the next few hours which gave them some time. 

“Come on, we can see if one of the neighbors has a working phone,” Buck said.

“What about Legolas? We can’t leave him.” 

Christopher was trying to wipe his face with the sleeve of his shirt, but Buck grabbed his hand and stopped him and then picked him up again. The bathroom was a bit of a mess but it wasn’t as bad as the kitchen and Buck grabbed a towel and cleaned Christopher up. 

“Let’s go get the leash and we can go outside,” Buck said and then yelled “Legolas!” 

Buck grabbed his keys, Andrew’s keys, and then found Legolas’ leash but the dog wasn’t appearing. He called a few more times. 

“He’s probably hiding, Chris. He’ll be okay.” 

“No, no, Buck. He won’t.” Christopher looked at him stubbornly and Buck was sure that he wouldn’t let them leave without the dog. 

Buck sighed. “Okay. Okay. Legolas! Come here, boy!”

He got lucky and the dog appeared. Buck had no clue where he’d been hiding, but he came towards him and Buck showed him the leash which seemed to excite him. Buck got the leash on him quickly and then motioned for Christopher to follow him to the front door. It was a little stuck which wasn’t a great sign, but Buck got it open and then forced it closed. 

Some car alarms could still be heard all over the street outside but most had quieted down. A few people were outside looking for damage on their houses. Legolas barked, but he didn’t pull on the leash and it did still amaze Buck how well trained this dog was. He helped Christopher down the stairs being careful because he had no idea if the stairs had been damaged somehow. 

“Okay, come on. We’ll get ahold of your dad somehow,” Buck said. He just hoped that Eddie wouldn’t be too busy to pick up. 

The next door neighbor, a guy named Mike lent him a cell phone but warned him that it was likely some cell towers were down. Sure enough, he couldn’t get a call through to Eddie. 

“Thanks, man,” Buck said and handed the phone back. 

“No problem. Good luck.” 

“Can’t reach him. So, how about we try the fire station? We can wait for him there.” Logically Buck knew that it was likely that the 118 would be out for a while dealing with all kinds of emergencies. They might be waiting on them for hours. It did feel better than sticking around Andrew’s house and waiting or heading back to his apartment. 

Christopher’s lip was starting to get wobbly again and Buck had to remember that in some ways, he was still very much a stranger to Christopher. He knelt down in front of him. 

“Chris, I will get you to your dad, okay. You’re safe with me, you know that right?” 

Christopher nodded. “I know.”

“Good, that’s good. Now come on.” 

—-

They had calls back to back which at least kept Eddie’s mind off of worrying about Christopher the entire time. It was easier to hold it together when there was someone to help and someone to rescue. Eddie knew that he could trust Buck to watch Christopher, but a parent just never stopped worrying. It would be the same if Chris had been with Abuela or with Carla. 

“He’s fine, Eddie,” Chimney said yet again the moment that Eddie was looking at his phone again. 

He’d managed to get a call out to Pepa who told him things were fine at the hospital with both Abuela and Andrew so at least that made him feel better but it didn’t keep him from worrying about his son. And Buck. And then the next call they went to had them going to the hospital because during the earthquake someone had gotten stuck inside an elevator and minor structural damage meant that for security reasons the elevator wouldn’t move and they needed to go out and get it moving again. So while they were there, after taking care of the elevator, they took a moment to check in with Andrew. 

Andrew was happy to see them if a bit surprised. 

“Crazy stuff, earthquakes,” Andrew said and then looking at Bobby, “remember that time that one created that sinkhole? Crazy rescue.”

They all froze and looked at Andrew. 

“You remember that,” Hen said. 

Andrew nodded. “I’m remembering lots of things.”

Eddie went to see Abuela too before they took off. She was doing okay and Eddie didn’t mention that he hadn’t heard from Buck about Christopher yet, but Pepa was perceptive and Eddie knew she’d been able to tell he was worried. 

Afterwards, they headed to a few more calls. It was a while before they got back to the station. The day was just constant because earthquakes had massive effects and it was all hands on deck. They were tired and definitely a bit sweaty and dirty from everything they’d done all day but it was all made worse by the worry that Eddie felt for Christopher. Hen had gotten a call from Karen and Bobby had heard from Michael. They’d run into Athena at one of the calls. It was just Christopher and Buck that no one knew anything about. 

So arriving at the station and seeing Buck’s Jeep parked up front, Eddie felt like he could take full breaths again. 

And then they were off the truck and Buck and Christopher were looking down on them from upstairs with Legolas sitting at Buck’s side, barking as they came off the truck and Eddie had never felt more relieved. 

“Daddy!” Christopher cried and he wiggled excitedly where he stood. 

Eddie ran up the stairs and Christopher was waiting right at the top. Eddie wrapped his arms around him, bringing him in tight. He was okay. His son was okay. Eddie held him for a long moment but then pushed him back so he could actually look at him and ascertain that there really was nothing wrong with him. Nothing was. There wasn’t even a scratch on him. 

“Daddy, I’m okay,” Christopher said, squirming a bit. 

Hen ruffled Christopher’s hair when she made it up the stairs and Eddie moved out of the way so she could pass as Chimney came up behind her. 

“Christopher,” Chimney said, hand up for a high five that Christopher gladly gave him complete with a giggle. 

Having the weight of the worry fall away, Eddie finally looked towards where Buck was standing with Legolas at his side. It was Hen that reached him first, pulling Buck into a hug and then dropping down to one knee in front of Legolas. Legolas laid down and even rolled over to get a belly rub at the attention he was getting. 

“What happened?” Chimney asked, looking at Buck. 

“We were okay but Christopher wanted his dad and I figured I’d come here and wait you guys out,” Buck said, looking at each of them. 

“I was worried,” Eddie said, approaching Buck with Christopher at his side because Christopher had attached himself to Eddie. 

“Buck took care of me when everything was shaking,” Christopher said. “It was scary, but he made it better.” 

Buck gained some pink to his cheeks and he didn’t seem to know what to say, so it was good timing on Bobby’s side that he stepped upstairs and noticed what none of the rest of them had, that there was something cooking in the kitchen. 

“Beat me to the kitchen,” Bobby said. 

Buck was still a little pink. “I hope it’s okay. I just...I figured you guys would be tired and hungry and we were here anyway. Needed to keep the kid distracted too.” 

“It smells good,” Hen said. “And I think we all need to get cleaned up before we eat.” 

Eddie had almost forgotten how messy they all were from the day they’d had. 

“Gives me time to finish up,” Buck said. 

Eddie hugged Christopher again and then promised to be back soon and he followed the others down to the lockers. He was feeling so much relief to have seen Christopher with his own eyes. It made his shower even better than it could have felt otherwise but Eddie still kept it short and quick. He got back up to the loft before anyone else and found Buck behind the island in the kitchen with Christopher sitting up on the counter.

“So, what did you cook, anyway?” 

“Come and look,” Buck said. 

Eddie walked around. Buck had made chicken alfredo and it both looked and smelled delicious and Eddie hadn’t actually realized how hungry he was. 

“And we made desert too, daddy,” Christopher said. 

“Oh?” 

Christopher nodded quickly. “I helped,” he said proudly. 

Eddie chuckled. His son loved to cook and bake things which was all due to Abuela and Pepa and how often when he was with them, they spent time cooking. Eddie was not good in the kitchen. He did what he could because he had a kid and he had to feed that kid, but Eddie had learned to keep things as simple as possible if he wanted to actually feed Christopher anything that was edible. 

He helped Buck bring the food over to the table because along with the chicken alfredo, he had cut up bread and made a salad. 

“Wow, well I vote we keep you around, Buckaroo,” Hen said when she made it upstairs. 

“I only know how to cook three things,” Buck said. 

“Better than Eddie, here,” Chimney said. “It’s a good thing he knows how to deal with fires.” 

Eddie rolled his eyes but knew better than to complain because Chimney would just keep it going. 

“Well, it looks good, Buck,” Bobby said. 

Buck helped Christopher sit down and he even went as far as to serve him some food and Eddie couldn’t help but just watch as the two of them talked to each other. Christopher was so distracted by Buck that he didn’t even notice when Eddie sat down at his other side. 

“Those two are getting along,” Hen said. 

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “Buck loves kids.” 

Hen frowned at that. “But your brother doesn’t,” she said. 

“He doesn’t like dogs either,” Eddie pointed out. 

At the moment Legolas was under the table and probably hoping that someone would pass him some food from the table. Eddie might have snuck him some chicken when he first sat down, but he was sure he saw Buck reach under the table too. 

“But Buck does,” Hen said. 

Eddie shrugged and then got distracted when Christopher pulled his attention. His eyes met Buck’s when he leaned towards Christopher and Eddie hated himself for the way that his heart rate sped up in the split moment when Buck’s blue eyes were looking directly at him, beautiful as ever. And then Buck smiled at him and Eddie had to look away. 

—-

Buck hung out at the fire station after they finished eating. Hen and Chim went down to restock things with a few other firefighters while Eddie took care of cleaning up the dishes and the kitchen. Christopher sat up on one of the stools watching and Buck did his best to help while Legolas lay on his feet. 

“That dog loves you,” Eddie said. 

“I love him too,” Buck said and he was going to hate the day when he wouldn’t get to see him again after it was all over. 

“Thank you for bringing Christopher here,” Eddie said. “He’s...he’s the most important thing in my life, you know?” 

“I know,” Buck said. “You’re a good dad.”

Eddie pursed his lips but he nodded. “Now, maybe. I made so many mistakes — wasn’t always there for him.”

“But you are now,” Buck said. “And you love him so that’s all that matters.”

Buck knew first hand how much that mattered. He’d been thinking about his parents and Maddie a lot lately probably because of the family he’d gotten to be in the peripherals of. Buck wasn’t sure if his parents had even shown that they loved him and Maddie. They hadn’t really been there in a way that kids needed their parents. Maddie had stepped up and Buck knew she loved him even if they hadn’t spoken in over three years and even if Maddie had left him with their parents when she went off to school. 

They hadn’t made it past half the dishes before the alarm for a call rang out. 

“I’m surprised we made it this far,” Eddie said and then he was off, but he stopped at the stairs. “Will you...will you be here?” 

“Yeah,” Buck said. “Yeah...we’ll stick around.” 

Eddie nodded and he looked relieved. “Good.” 

Having seen his dad, Christopher had relaxed some but he could tell that he still worried and Buck wondered how much this kid did worry about his dad while Eddie was at work. Maybe it was more real when a natural disaster happened or with him at the station seeing his dad rush off and get into one of the trucks and go. Still, Christopher seemed to enjoy being at the station and Buck couldn’t blame him for it. 

Legolas seemed to love being there too. He would have made a good fire house dog. He’d even found a ball somewhere. It was covered in dust bunnies and hair, but Legolas didn’t care about that, he was just happy to bring it over to Buck so Buck could throw it for him. They were lucky there was space for them to play with him inside and it distracted Christopher from thinking about his dad out on a call possibly in a dangerous situation.

Buck kept a close watch when Christopher went to throw the ball just in case it went somewhere it shouldn’t but he seemed to be doing fine even if he wasn’t throwing very far. Christopher did managed to bounce the ball over the glass banister and before Buck could stop him, Legolas ran down the stairs to fetch it. He leaned over the glass the watch Legolas and he watched as Legolas chased and managed to get hold of the ball. 

“He’s coming back, bud,” Buck said to Christopher. 

Buck Legolas didn’t walk up the stairs.

“Legolas! Up here!” Buck called down. 

That’s when the aftershock hit. The shaking pushed Buck against the banister, but he pushed away from it. Buck had forgotten about the possible aftershock entirely. He could hear Legolas barking and things falling and shaking, but it was Christopher who he needed to get to. 

“Buck!” Christopher cried out. 

Christopher wobbled on his crutches but they were helping to keep him on his feet, but Buck had barely taken a step towards him when one of the chairs near where Christopher was standing was knocked over and it hit Christopher’s shoulder. Buck saw it even as he was trying to reach him. Christopher fell, his crutches in the way and then Christopher screamed and Buck felt it down in his bones. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Buck and Chris got to hang out...and they just can't avoid trouble when they do...
> 
> I do want to make a quick note of saying next chapter might be a bit delayed. Work has changed my schedule which means that my current sleep schedule is also going to need a change (and I usually write best between midnight and 5am) so I don't know how well these changes will pair with my writing/editing so don't be alarmed if it's more than a week's wait between this chapter and next (but it certainly won't be more than a two week wait). 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/620223865835208704/im-with-you-13) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back with a new chapter. Enjoy.

“Shit. Shit. Shit,” Buck whispered as he got to Christopher, lifting the chair off of him and letting it fall to the side. 

Christopher was whimpering and crying and he hadn’t moved at all and the crutches were still attached to his arms and twisted and from the way that he’d fallen. Christopher’s left wrist was at best sprained but also possibly broken. His right didn’t look all that comfortable either with the crutch still attached. 

“Buck,” Christopher said and he was sobbing and Buck knew that he had to be calm so that Christopher didn’t start freaking out. 

Buck took off the crutch on his right arm carefully, throwing it aside carelessly and Christopher cried out. His face was covered in tears, too.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Buck muttered. 

Buck cursed that his phone was still broken and he had no way of contacting Eddie and no idea when he or the others would be back. Things were a bit crazy with the earthquake that no one had been left behind at the station. 

Christopher was still crying but at least everything had stopped shaking. Buck turned him slowly onto his back, careful of his hand and the crutch that was still attached to that arm and then he removed it. Christopher was sobbing and his good hand reached for Buck and Buck felt like his heart was breaking. 

“I’m...I’m going to touch your hand okay? Does anything else hurt? You probably got banged up pretty bad, huh?” 

Faintly, Buck heard Legolas appear, but he needed to focus on Christopher and there was no way that chair hadn’t bruised him where it hit him. 

Slowly, Buck touched his wrist and Christopher hissed and his face scrunched up. “Ow!” 

“I’m sorry. I’m...I have to check it okay, buddy, I just have to make sure it’s not broken. Can I do that?” 

Christopher nodded. He was still crying and in some pain. 

Buck felt Christopher’s arm, going from his elbow down to the wrist and the bone seemed to be in place as far as he could tell. It was when he got closer to his wrist that Christopher winced and pulled back which made him cry out because of the harsh movement, but then he pressed his who arm to his chest and that seemed to help.

“I don’t think it’s broken,” Buck said and it was with some relief. A sprain wasn’t ideal, but better than a broken bone and Buck could help with a sprain. 

“It hurts,” Christopher informed him. 

“I know. I know. And I’m going to try and make it better, okay?” 

“Okay.” He’d calmed down some, but he was still crying a little. 

Buck tried to smile with reassurance even though he felt horrible. He should have kept Christopher closer to him and he should have remembered that they’d been through an earthquake. After all, when he and Christopher had arrived there had been so many signs of it even at the firehouse. Buck had spent some time cleaning things up when they first arrived. 

“Can I pick you up?” Buck asked. 

Christopher nodded. He sniffled and he hissed in pain when his arm was jostled as Buck picked him up, but he still leaned into Buck and pressed his face into Buck’s neck. 

“Sorry, Sorry,” Buck mumbled and took him over to the sofa where he would be most comfortable. “I’m going to find some ice, okay? I’ll be right back. Legolas will stay with you.” 

Legolas seemed to know what Buck wanted because he went right to Christopher’s side, getting up on the sofa so that Christopher could wrap his good arm around him and Christopher buried his face in Legolas’ fur. 

“He’s okay,” Buck muttered to himself. “He’s okay.” 

Buck checked the fridge in the kitchen first, looking in the freezer to see if maybe they kept some ice packs in there. Otherwise he was sure they had to keep some somewhere even if it was with their supplies. Buck just hoped he could get to those things and they weren’t locked. To his relief there were a few ice packs in the freezer. He grabbed one and wrapped it up in paper towels before he got back to Christopher who was still just cuddling Legolas. At least that seemed to make him feel better. 

“When is my dad coming back?” 

“I don’t know, bud. But I found some ice which will hopefully make your wrist feel better,” Buck said. 

Christopher nodded. 

“You’re very brave, you know,” Buck said and he ran a hand through Christopher’s curls. 

Buck made sure that Christopher was seated comfortably before he gently took Christopher’s arm again. He put the ice pack wrapped in paper towels on Christopher’s wrist, wrapping it around the small fragile limb. Christopher winced at the cold and Buck brought over one of the throw pillows, folding it and putting it on Christopher’s lap so he could put it down and it was somewhat elevated. His only concern was the CP because as far as Buck could tell it affected his legs, but he had no idea if his arms were affected too and if it did, then that might hurt any movement Christopher made. 

“We’ll just keep that on for fifteen minutes and then we’ll take it off, okay?” 

Buck remembered that much from the time he’d sprained his ankle when he was a teenager. He wished he could give Christopher something to lessen the pain but he had no idea how pain meds and kids mixed and he doubted that he was going to find anything specifically for kids at the station and he wasn’t going to take Christopher out as he was to find some at the nearest pharmacy. If he was going to leave the station at all, it would be to the hospital and the emergency room so they could check Christopher out. Mostly, Buck wished he could get in contact with Eddie to see what he wanted Buck to do. He just hoped that they would come back from the call soon. 

It had never been so apparent to him how much he relied on his phone until he didn’t have it. He did wonder if the station had a phone, so after making sure that Christopher was still doing okay and he found the tv remote and turned it on so Christopher could have a distraction, he went to look around. He spotted it in the Captain’s office which was of course locked. 

“Are you doing okay?” he asked Christopher when he got back. 

“It still hurts,” Christopher said in a low tone. 

And Buck hadn’t even checked his side or the rest of him to see if he’d gotten even more bruised up. 

“I know, I know,” Buck said and he had no clue how to reassure him.

This was...he had no experience when it came to this. He had no idea if he should actually be rushing to get Christopher some proper medical help or if he should wait and not having his phone meant that he couldn’t just google it or get in touch with Christopher’s father or anyone that might tell him what to do. He had to remind himself it was a sprain. A sprain wasn’t that bad. 

“Buck, I’m okay,” Christopher said and god, this kid. He was unreal. 

When fifteen minutes had gone by, Buck took the ice pack off. The skin around Christopher’s wrist was red and there was some swelling there too. Christopher was just so small and fragile and Buck wanted to do right by him. Maybe he would give the 118 some time to get back. If they weren’t back within the next hour, Buck would take Christopher to the hospital. 

“Can I look?” 

Christopher nodded and Buck touched his arm as gentle as he could and Chris winced only a little. Above his wrist where the crutches had been on his forearm, was a small cut and the beginning of a bruise. His other arm looked the same. 

“Does anything else hurt?” Buck asked. 

Christopher nodded. “Not as bad though,” he said. 

“We’ll give your dad a bit of time. If he doesn’t get back here we can go get you checked out by a doctor? Sound good?”

“Okay, Buck.”

It was lucky that almost as soon as he’d put the ice pack back on Christopher’s wrist, that he heard the truck and he let out a sigh. Christopher looked like he was ready to run off the sofa, but Buck stopped him. 

“Stay here, kid. Don’t want you moving too much. Okay? Your dad will be right up.” 

Buck had no idea how he would react, but he was ready to take any reaction. He made to get up, but Christopher shook his head so Buck stayed and he watched as Christoher kept petting Legolas. At least he wasn’t crying anymore, but he still looked a bit of a mess and Buck couldn’t help but press a kiss to his head. 

“You’ll be just fine,” Buck said. 

“I know.” 

“Good.”

—-

The station was a mess again. They hadn’t even been able to pull the ladder truck in the whole way because of the mess, so they were all moving everything out of the way to make room. The aftershock hadn’t been as bad as the original earthquake but it still made things worse. 

Eddie would never forget the earthquake his first week as a firefighter. He and Andrew had gone up into a high rise hotel that was tilted and barely staying up. He’d been sure about the job before that day, but somehow it had cemented things for him. He’d been worried about Christopher the entire time they were on the job, but Eddie had been able to push the worry aside and Andrew told him later that it was that ability to do that that made him sure Eddie could do the job. 

“And,” Andrew had said with his cheeky grin, “now I know you can survive California, too.” 

Eddie was surprised when he didn’t spot Buck and Christopher watching them from the loft again. It gave him a bad feeling when they didn’t come, but Buck’s car was still outside. As soon as he was able, he ran up the stairs. 

“Christopher! Buck!” 

Legolas barked in response and Eddie just moved faster. 

He spotted them on the sofa and he could tell as he approached that something was wrong. 

“Buck, what—” 

Buck looked up and he looked nervous. “Christopher fell when the aftershock hit. He — I think he sprained his wrist.” 

It felt like being struck. His kid was hurt. Buck had allowed Christopher to get hurt. Eddie dropped to his knees in front of Christopher and his mind was just running a mile a minute because he needed to be calm for his son. 

“Daddy,” Christopher said.

“I’m here, kiddo. I’m here. Can I take a look at that?” He knelt down in front of Christopher and reached for his arm as soon as his son had nodded, removing the ice pack. 

It looked minor. Just a sprain like Buck had said. Christopher winced and whimpered when Eddie touched where the swelling seemed to be worse. 

Buck sat at Christopher’s side while Eddie checked Christopher out, but he spoke when Eddie had finished looking at Christopher’s wrist. 

“I — I didn’t know if I should give him something for the pain or if there’s even anything to give him but we’ve been icing it and he might be bruised on his side and shoulder too. A chair toppled into him and I wasn’t...I wasn’t fast enough to get him out of the way. I am so sorry, Eddie—” 

A part of him was angry. His kid was hurt and Buck was supposed to be watching him and...and it had been the aftershock and not Buck that hurt him. Buck was still apologizing and rambling on and Eddie could tell that he was already taking on all the guilt for what happened and any anger that he’d felt vanished. Eddie reached over and placed a hand on Buck’s knee to stop him. 

“It was an accident. An earthquake. He’s okay.” 

Buck nodded, stopping short on whatever he’d been saying and Eddie went back to Christopher. He hated seeing his son hurt, but he also knew that it could have been worse and that Buck couldn’t have known when the aftershock would happen or that Christopher was in the way of a falling chair. He couldn’t be angry at him for it. 

“Can you...can you let Hen know what happened?” Eddie asked. 

Buck nodded at once. He touched Christopher’s hair and then walked to the stairs. Eddie focused on his son. Eddie put the ice back around his wrist and then slowly lifted Christopher’s shirt so he could see his torso. There was already some bruising but it would be minor — the kind that kids always got when they were playing. 

“Does your shoulder hurt, kiddo?” 

“A little,” Christopher said. 

It was hard to get a look with the shirt in the way but Eddie figured taking it off would entail more movement on Chris’ wrist which he wanted to avoid. He was hoping that Hen would bring him some Children’s Tylenol or a variant that he could give to Christopher for the pain. 

There was a scrape on his shoulder from what he could make out and he’d have a nasty bruise there too from the looks of it but Christopher was okay. 

—-

Buck felt terrible. Eddie had assured him that everything was fine and that Christopher would be feeling fine in a few days, but that didn’t take away any of the guilt for not immediately rushing to Christopher and stopping it from happening at all. He’d been distracted by Legolas and logically Buck knew that he’d reacted as quickly as he could, but he hadn’t made it to Chris on time and that meant that Christopher had gotten hurt. He’d gotten hurt while Buck was supposed to be watching him. 

It could have been worse. Chris could have gotten hit by something worse than just a chair. His sprain could have been a broken bone. Buck knew that, and he knew that Eddie didn’t blame him, but he couldn’t help but feel the guilt anyway. 

There had been a few more hours left on their shift, but Bobby had let Eddie take Christopher home and Buck had gotten to give Christopher a quick hug before he watched Eddie go. 

“He’ll be fine, Buck,” Hen said. “Kids get hurt, but they get better.”

“I just—”

“I know,” Hen said. “But he’s okay. It’s a sprain. He’ll be fine and it’s not your fault.” 

It was one thing to hear it and another to fully believe it. 

It wasn’t until he was back at his apartment that he remembered he had Legolas with him, but he figured it was probably better to have him there than Andrew’s place which would need to be cleaned up some. Buck took Legolas on a walk before they headed up to his apartment. The next morning, he woke up to Legolas sitting on the bed next to him, leaning over him and just staring at him. 

“Oh,” Buck said with a gasp. “Good morning?” 

Legolas barked. 

“You want to go out?” 

Buck had had a few things to pick up and clean when they got to his apartment the night before but then he and Legolas had hung out in front of the tv for a while before Buck cooked up some chicken so he could share it with the dog. He’d taken him out for another short walk before he went up to sleep. Legolas had followed him up to his room afterwards and Buck had been glad when the dog just laid down on an area rug. So he was surprised to find him on his bed come morning. 

“Okay, boy,” Buck said, running his hands down Legolas’ back. “I guess you make for a good alarm clock.” 

It reminded Buck that he had to go get a new phone and get everything from his old one transferred over especially since one of the first things he wanted to do was check in and see how Christopher was doing. Buck still felt bad about what happened and he just hoped that Eddie still didn’t blame him for it. 

Legolas followed him around as he got ready to go and then he was a little over excited at the prospect of getting to go outside and Buck had to remember that Legolas was used to having a yard and a doggie door through which to access said yard at any moment. And as soon as they had made it outside, Legolas lifted his leg against the building’s wall. It impressed upon Buck yet again how well trained this dog was. 

After their walk, Buck felt bad bringing Legolas back up to his apartment, so he took him to his Jeep and drove over to Andrew’s house. Everything looked like Buck had left it the day before so Buck started picking up what he could in a short period of time. Mostly it was stuff that Legolas could get hurt on or that he could confuse for a toy. He left Legolas some new food out and after grabbing his forgotten broken phone, he headed out to get a new one. Legolas looked sad when Buck left him and Buck felt sad leaving him too. 

“I’ll be back later, don’t worry,” Buck promised. He was really getting a bit too attached to the dog. 

It took a while to get his phone set up and to transfer everything from the old one onto the new one, but Buck felt so much better when he had a working phone in his hand. Getting a new phone reminded Buck that he still had Andrew’s and that he should probably bring him his stuff. So, he headed first to his apartment to pick up Andrew’s things and then to the hospital. He sent Eddie a text when he arrived, checking on Christopher, but Buck didn’t have to wait for a response because he found Eddie and Christopher in the hospital room when he walked in. 

“Hey,” Buck said. 

Andrew was asleep and it almost felt like before when he was still in a coma and they had all been waiting for him to wake up. Simpler times in a way. 

“Hi, Buck,” Christopher said. He looked like he was in better spirits. 

His wrist was wrapped in a bandage and he held it a little stiffly, but he looked much better than the last time Buck saw him. 

“Hey, kid. How’s the wrist?” 

“Better,” Christopher said. 

“I’m glad,” Buck said and then to Eddie, “I, uh, just texted you but I guess you should ignore that.” 

“God a new phone already?” 

Buck nodded. “Felt naked without it. I’m sure I missed a whole bunch of calls and texts while it was broken. I haven’t even really checked yet. And, I um, I have Andrew’s phone, actually. It’s probably dead now. And his wallet. One of the nurses gave me some of his things. I figured maybe they’ll help him remember.” 

Eddie took them when Buck handed them over, setting them on the table next to the bed. “I was actually wondering where they went the other day.” 

“Should have asked me,” Buck said. 

“Yeah.”

They lapsed into silence and for Buck it felt weird and awkward and he knew it was because of the events of the day before. Or maybe what had happened before that. 

“I’m sorry,” Buck said. “About...about yesterday. You trusted me with—” 

“Buck...Buck, no, Christopher is okay and you kept him safe. It wasn’t a normal day, yesterday. It could have happened with anyone. And he’s fine.”

“Okay,” Buck said. “But I—”

“Really,” Eddie said. 

“Okay,” Buck repeated. 

Andrew interrupted them, then, by choosing that moment to wake up and his eyes landed first on Buck and then on Eddie and Christopher and he smiled. It was still much too unfair how attractive he was. Really, it was unfair how attractive both of the brothers were. 

—-

It was weird once remembering started to happen. It was slow, but the pictures had helped at first but nothing came back in a lot of order. It was snippets and bits and pieces. The earthquake had made him remember a few things the day before. Stuff about work, mostly. The team with and without Eddie...how much he loved it. It brought other things with it too. 

He’d spoken to his mom on the phone on Pepa’s phone and it had reminded him of other calls and other times when he’d been dodging and annoyed at how often she wanted to talk to him. Slowly it was coming back. He remembered a lot about being a firefighter, too. 

“What happened?” Andrew asked, looking at Christopher and noting the wrapped up wrist and the way that the boy was holding it. 

“Sprained his wrist yesterday,” Eddie said. “But he’s okay.” 

Christopher nodded and he lifted his arm to show him and Andrew smiled at him. “Well, I’m sure you’ll be feeling better in no time.” 

“You too,” Christopher said with a big grin. 

“And we have something of yours,” Eddie said. “Your wallet and your phone.” 

Eddie grabbed the two things from the bedside table and handed them to him. They felt right in his hands. He opened the wallet not sure what he would find. There was a bit of a cash, credit cards, his license, and a few business cards, but nothing that brought back anything. His phone was familiar, but the battery was also dead. 

“Either of you have a charger?” Andrew asked. 

When they shook their heads he laughed. “Helpful. So, how was it yesterday? Any interesting calls? You handle yourself alright out there, Buck?” 

“I was with Christopher,” Buck said. 

“We had fun,” Christopher added. “I like your dog.” 

His dog. Andrew’s dog whose name was Legolas who Andrew couldn’t remember at all. What he did know was that he didn’t like dogs. The dog was a mystery, but sitting in his wallet was a business card for a dog grooming place. And from all the pictures that he’d been shown of Legolas, it was clear that someone had taken good care of that dog. Andrew just couldn’t remember him. 

“I don’t remember him,” Andrew said. 

“Well, I woke up to him staring at me today,” Buck said. 

“You...um, you slept at my house?” Andrew asked, feeling a little weird about that because even though he sort of knew Buck now, he was still a stranger. He hadn’t even thought about how often Buck must have been at his house with the dog and with his things. 

Buck shook his head. “No. No. I took Legolas home with me. He’s back at your house now. I, uh, cleaned up a little. Earthquake broke a few things.” 

“Oh.” 

Andrew didn’t know what to do about the whole Buck thing. The conversation he’d had with Chimney had given him some perspective, enough for him to want to get to know the guy. And Buck was...well, the best way to describe him was damaged. Granted, it was probably only someone that wasn’t okay that would end up in the situation that Buck was in. It was just that Andrew also didn’t like it. He didn’t like that someone had lied on his behalf and had made his family think that he was in a relationship and that he was into men. There was nothing wrong with it, but that wasn’t Andrew. And a part of him wanted to end it already and just tell everyone that Buck had been lying all along. But then...then he looked at him and it was so easy to read him and see how uncomfortable he was standing in the hospital room. He was waiting for that shoe to drop. And Chim had made a good point. Buck had saved his life and maybe Andrew needed to have that in mind. 

“So it won’t look that much messier than usual,” Eddie said. “You should be glad mom and dad didn’t want to stay at your house when they were here.” 

“Small mercies,” Andrew said. “But, I’m — I’m glad everyone’s okay. Do you think the hospital has a charger I can borrow?” 

“One of the nurses might,” Buck said. “I’ll go ask.” 

“Can I come with you?” Christopher asked. 

Buck looked to Eddie first who shrugged and they watched as Buck and Christopher left. With his wrist injured, Christopher was moving a little slower, but Buck was patient with him and helped only as much as was unavoidable and Andrew knew how much his nephew liked to do things on his own. 

“He’s good with him,” Andrew said. 

Eddie smiled. “Yeah,” he said. 

“And you let him watch your kid even though you barely know him. That’s not like you, Eddie.” 

“You know that for a fact,” Eddie said, brow furrowed. “And well, I know he’s your boyfriend and I’ve spent some time with him while you were in a coma. I trust him. He’s a good guy.” 

Andrew nodded. He wondered if Eddie would be as understanding when the truth came out. Eddie could be a little overprotective when it came to Christopher but Andrew didn’t blame him. 

“They, um, they said they might discharge me tomorrow,” Andrew said. “I’m remembering things better and I don’t really need to be here for that. They were saying it might be better if I’m at home.” 

Eddie looked a little surprised to hear it, but he was happy. “That’s great.”

Andrew smiled back. 

“I’m sure that Buck will be happy to hear it.” 

Andrew didn’t know how to feel about that. About any of it, including how strange his brother looked when he said that, like he was trying to be supportive. Chimney had said something about Eddie being suspicious about Buck and maybe those suspicions had never left...or it was something else. 

When Buck returned, holding a charger and holding Christopher, Andrew kept a close eye on Eddie who was smiling at Buck and Christopher. It was interesting. He didn’t look suspicious anyway. 

Eddie plugged Andrew’s phone in for him while Buck helped Christopher sit at the foot of Andrew’s hospital bed. Andrew gave him a bit more space and Buck shot him a smile. 

“This thing will probably give me a lot more info about myself.”

Buck nodded and Andrew did find it a bit amusing to see how that seemed to worry Buck some and maybe Andrew needed to use that, to make Buck pay for everything he’d done. At least a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit that I have barely worked on this fic over the last week...I’ve spent a lot of time reading instead (oops), but I did manage to fit in some editing time. I’m hoping to not take forever with the next chapter but it’s one that needs a lot of editing but I hope it won’t be a long wait. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/621021148569911296/im-with-you-14) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally over 6k long, so during editing when I found a particularly good stopping point I decided to cut it into two. That also meant that i could post this today and not once I finish editing the rest of what used to be this chapter. So, here we are. Enjoy.

The first person to call Buck’s new phone was Hen and he agreed to meet with her for coffee after he left the hospital because she insisted that they go and because Chimney had overheard the conversation on her end, he invited himself too. For good measure, Buck had gone ahead and invited Josh along. 

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Hen said. “Christopher getting hurt on your watch must have felt horrible.” 

“It did,” Buck admitted. And it was still bothering him a little. He knew logically it wasn’t his fault, but Christopher had been crying and whimpering in pain and Buck should have been able to protect him from it. Seeing him and how well he was handling his healing wrist had made Buck feel a little better. 

“What happened?” Josh asked. 

Buck explained with Hen piping in. 

“It was just a sprained wrist,” Chimney said. “Very minor, right Hen?” 

She nodded. “And things like that can happen at any time, especially with kids with CP. It’s really not your fault, Buck.” 

“I know,” Buck said. Eddie didn’t even blame him for it. “It still sucked.” 

Hen pat his hand on the table. “I know. I remember the first time Denny got hurt — I don’t know who was crying more, Denny or Karen.” 

Chimney and Buck grinned at each other and Josh laughed. Some of the weight from what happened to Christopher fell away as Hen started asking Josh questions about dispatch and Josh had plenty of stories. 

Eventually, the topic switched over to Andrew. 

“I stopped by last night,” Josh said. “He’s getting discharged tomorrow, right?” 

Buck nodded. He didn’t want to think about it too much. When Eddie had told him while they were visiting Andrew, Buck had tried not to show how panicked it made him to hear it. It was just that so far things had been a little strange. Andrew had to know Buck wasn’t his boyfriend...or if he didn’t know, he likely suspected something, and yet he wasn’t questioning anything and instead acting like Buck was his boyfriend. It was strange. 

Josh met his eyes and there was a question there about what was happening that Buck couldn’t answer.

“That’s good, then,” Josh said. “He’ll be back to normal in no time.” 

“Yeah,” Buck said. Everything would go back to normal. Including how much Buck didn’t belong. 

“We should throw him a welcome party,” Hen said. “I don’t want to overstep, Buck, but it’d be nice to get everyone together to welcome him home. Think it’s alright to do at his place?”

Chim looked like he was having too much fun with that going by the way he wiggled his eyebrows at Buck. Josh coughed to hide his amusement and it was lucky that Hen didn’t realize what they were on about. 

“Uh, that sounds like a good idea,” Buck said. 

“Good, good,” Hen said and then she started to plan. 

“She loves a good welcome back party,” Chimney explained. “In our line of work there’s always someone out for an injury. And I’m sure we’ll have another party when he gets back to work.” 

Hen nodded with a small smile. 

Buck was struck yet again by how much love there was among these people whose lives he’d shoved himself into. Something about it must have shown on his face because Josh nudged him. 

“Okay?” he mouthed at him. 

Buck nodded. Hen was talking about picking up a cake and Chimney was texting and presumably inviting anyone that should be at a welcome home party for Andrew. 

“Eddie says he won’t be discharged until sometime tomorrow and he can stall bringing him to the house for a little while if we need him to,” Hen said. “Good thing we’re not on shift tomorrow.”

“And look at that, neither am I,” Josh said. 

They looked to Buck. “Working early in the morning,” he said and it wasn’t something he could miss after the day of work that he’d already missed this week. 

“And we have to clean up the place a bit?” Hen asked, looking at Buck. 

“I did a bit of cleaning yesterday when I stopped by to feed Legolas but it’s still a bit of a mess after the earthquake.” 

“Okay,” Hen said. “So we’ll have to get there early to set up.” 

Buck nodded along and as all the details were ironed out, he tried to figure out if maybe this party might end up being the perfect time for him to come clean. They would all be there and he could explain the whole thing. And then when it was all over he could walk away and maybe things wouldn’t be that bad. If Buck mentally prepared himself for it, then it would be okay even if it hurt. It was definitely going to hurt. 

Josh hung back after Hen and Chimney headed off. “So, what is going on? Like, the truth?” 

“I have no idea. He doesn’t remember everything yet so I’m pretty sure he just thinks he’s forgotten me. The whole thing is messed up but I have to tell him, right? I can’t let him keep trying to remember me when he won’t be able to? I just haven’t been alone with him since that one day when he was pushing me to become a firefighter and I don’t even know what to make of that. I just — this is so weird.” 

Josh pulled him into a hug. “Everything will be okay, Buck. Even if it blows up in your face. I’ll still be your friend.” 

“Thanks,” Buck said and he meant it because he needed to know that he wouldn’t lose everyone.

“And I don’t think you’ll lose everyone either after it all comes out,” Josh said. 

Buck didn’t agree, but he didn’t feel like arguing that point. 

He and Josh parted ways and Buck headed towards his Jeep.

—-

Eddie went on his own to pick Andrew up from the hospital because everyone else including Abuela and Pepa were at Andrew’s house for the surprise welcome home party. When he arrived at the hospital room, Andrew hadn’t been discharged yet. 

“Waiting on the doctor,” Andrew explained. 

So Eddie sat down. “And how are you doing? Remembering more?” 

“A bit,” Andrew said and then after a short moment, “quite a bit.” 

“The dog? Buck?” Eddie asked at once and maybe he was a little too eager. 

Andrew chuckled. “I don’t even like Lord of the Rings, Eddie. I have no idea whose dog that is.” 

“I thought you liked the movies. Wait, you used to read the books when we were kids...and I remember a very long rant about The Hobbit movies”

Andrew just blinked at him. “I don’t remember everything,” he said with a shrug. “But, I remembered your ex. Christopher’s mother.” 

“You don’t remember your own boyfriend, but you remember her,” Eddie said incredulously. 

Andrew chuckled. “He’s great, though, isn’t he? Buck. I really like him. I haven’t gotten to spend too much time alone with him, but as far as I can tell he’s a pretty great guy and I wouldn’t be here without him, would I? I was actually trying to push him into joining the LAFD. I think it would be a great fit for him, wouldn’t you?”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah, I guess it would be.” 

“And he’s nice to look at, isn’t he? Really well fit, I’ve been meaning to ask him about his workout routine. Everyone seems to like him. I kind of get it, I guess, even if I don’t remember. Mom and dad seem to like him more than your ex.”

It wasn’t surprising that Andrew liked Buck. Somewhere deep down, Andrew probably did remember how he felt about Buck — his attraction to Buck. And that made Eddie’s jaw clench a little and make him want to snap at Andrew. Mostly it also made Eddie a horrible person and a horrible brother. He had no claim on Buck. He had no right to be upset about the way that Andrew talked about Buck. 

“Anyway, I don’t remember him, but what I know of him now I like. Did you know he lived in South America for a while? He didn’t say where but I think it’s so cool that he did his own thing and just went where he wanted to. I admire him for it.”

Eddie couldn’t remember if he’d known that about Buck or not. 

“And considering the coffee he makes, I can only imagine how good he is at mixing drinks,” Andrew said and he looked thoughtful for a moment. “Also, I keep meaning to ask if that’s a scar on his eyebrow or something else. I can’t remember, obviously, but it suits him, don’t you think?” 

Eddie tampered down the possessive monster inside of him that wanted nothing more than to stop Andrew from continuing to talk about Buck as if he actually knew him and as if he liked him or felt more for him even though of course Andrew felt that way about Buck. They were dating. Eddie was just...he was stupid enough to not have good control over his feelings. 

“It’s a birthmark, I think,” Eddie said and tried to be nonchalant.

“Must be why it fits him so well,” Andrew said with a decisive nod. 

Eddie wanted the doctor to get there and discharge Andrew already. He checked his phone. Hen was giving him the okay to bring Andrew home. Eddie couldn’t help but wonder if Buck would stick around at Andrew’s place, if he was looking forward to having him out of the hospital. Eddie had to push those thoughts away. 

“Have you spoken to mom and dad?” Eddie asked, making the effort to change the subject. 

“Yes,” Andrew said. “Got my phone charged so I got caught up on a few things and called them. She’s been texting me practically every hour.” 

“That’s mom,” Eddie said. “She worries.” 

“Yeah, I got that.” 

It was another twenty minutes before a doctor finally appeared with the discharge papers and instructions to do with the headaches that Andrew was still having. He had some meds to take for the pain, but he was essentially in good health other than the memory loss. 

“Finally,” Andrew said when they were out of the hospital and walking to Eddie’s car.

Weirdly as much as Eddie was glad that his brother was finally out of the hospital and okay, he also hated him a little. Eddie was cognizant of himself enough to realize that at least some of that was to do with Buck and the feelings that sat on his chest and didn’t seem keen on leaving. 

“I remember your car,” Andrew said somewhat cheerily. “And I drive—” he took a moment to think about it. 

The same moment in which Eddie had to wonder about why none of them had thought to think of Andrew’s car. Eddie should have been the one to think about that and maybe he would have if the hospital had given him Andrew’s things. And actually, come to think of it, Buck hadn’t given them Andrew’s keys even though he was probably the one that had them. 

“I drive a Jeep,” Andrew said. 

Until Andrew said it, Eddie hadn’t even thought about how Buck and Andrew drove the same type of car. Maybe it was yet another thing that had bonded them. Seeing all those connections, the way that Andrew didn’t remember Buck but already seemed entirely fond of him, it made him want to scream. 

“You do,” Eddie said but refrained from telling him that his car had probably been towed in the unlikely event that it wasn’t still wherever Andrew had parked it. 

—-

So maybe Andrew was messing with Eddie a little. It was just that Andrew wanted to know for sure if what he’d seen on Eddie the other day was more than admiration for Buck but something deeper. And from the way that Eddie seemed to be both a bit quieter and a bit stiff that he was in his head about something. Likely Buck. 

It was interesting. A bit ironic in a way, too, and Andrew had figured out how he was going to punish Buck for what he’d done. If it messed with his brother a bit too, well, that was just a nice side effect. 

The drive over to his house was a little familiar and then when Eddie parked, he knew which house was his. Slowly things filled themselves into his head. It was weird the way that things would just fit into place and he knew them. Maybe, it was going to be the same once he saw the dog. Legolas. His phone had given him next to no information about the dog. Andrew didn’t even have pictures of him.

“Familiar?” Eddie asked. 

“Yeah,” Andrew said. “It’s home.”

As the words left his mouth, though, they didn’t feel true and Andrew didn’t know what to make of that because this was his home. 

“My car isn’t here,” Andrew said when he paused at the bottom of the steps. 

Eddie grimaced. “About that,” he said. “We, um, we forgot about it.” 

“You forgot about it,” Andrew said. 

“Look, I will take care of everything. I think Pepa assumed Buck would have done it but we were all a bit distracted with you in a coma and everything. But I’ll figure all of that out tomorrow.” 

Andrew couldn’t even really be mad. It was the whole Buck problem rearing its head again. 

They walked up the steps and Andrew noticed that there were a few cracks on the concrete that he knew hadn’t been there before. And when Eddie opened the door, it didn’t glide in like usual. Andrew barely had time to focus on that though because the last thing Andrew expected was to step inside and have everyone yell “Surprise!” 

—-

Christopher still had a bandage around his wrist and it was a reminder to Buck of what he’d allowed to happen even if no one else blamed him for it. Not even Christopher who had hugged Buck when he first arrived at Andrew’s house with Isabel and Pepa and then followed him around and tried to help him with whatever Buck was doing. 

Isabel had recently been in the hospital too after a bad fall, but she was doing fine and she’d only gone because she hadn’t been able to get up on her own and she thought she might have injured her hip but she’d had her phone close by and managed a call to 9-1-1. Mostly, Pepa was keeping her seated and comfortable because the fall had left her bruised up. It made Buck hesitate on wanting to tell everyone the truth, but then again most things made him rethink it and too much time had passed. Buck needed to tell them. 

“You look like you’re worrying about something,” Josh said. 

“I’m telling them,” Buck said. “Today.” 

Josh raised an eyebrow at him and pat his shoulder. “Things have been going so well lately, do you really want to just blow that up?” 

“Andrew is going to remember everything any day now. Him coming home is just going to make that process even faster and then what?”

Josh sighed. “Look, there’s things you don’t—”

“Josh, I can’t keep lying,” Buck said. “It’s too...it’s different now that he’s awake. This has gone on way too long.”

“Yeah, I get that, but maybe wait a little longer or I don’t know, have you considered talking to Andrew and explaining.” 

The idea of talking to Andrew about it first had merit, but Buck just didn’t know if would be possible for Buck to do it during a party that meant that Andrew would likely be surrounded by people all the time. 

“Maybe,” Buck said. 

Hen was the one to get the text that Eddie and Andrew were on their way from the hospital which meant that the last minute details had to be worked out. 

“Is she like this at every party?” Buck asked. 

Athena chuckled. “Surprise parties, yes. Easier to go along with whatever she wants though.” 

Karen nodded in agreement. Buck took it in, the way that Athena smiled and the way that Karen nodded even while he eyes shone with pride and love for her wife. He was going to miss them. He was going to miss all of them. 

Legolas started barking when they heard Eddie and Andrew outside and Buck had to wonder if that was because the dog knew that his owner was home. When Eddie opened the door, everyone shouted “surprise!” and Andrew looked taken aback. 

“Seriously?” Andrew asked through a laugh. 

“We had to,” Hen said and she was the first one to rush over and hug him. 

Buck’s attention was on Legolas who did rush over but only sniffed at Andrew before jumping at Eddie who pet his head lightly before Legolas turned back to Andrew. It was curious. Legolas had been more excited to see Christopher when he first got to the house and if Buck was allowed to think it, the dog had been more excited to see him. But Andrew was his owner...his person and the dog was treating him just like anyone else. 

Eddie had said it a lot though, Andrew didn’t like dogs. Maybe Legolas could sense that. The whole it was getting more and more confusing. If Buck didn’t know any better that dog had insinuated himself into Andrew’s life just like Buck had. 

Andrew hugged Pepa and walked over to the couch to hug Isabel and then his eyes found Buck. Buck didn’t know what to do. Did he rush over and hug him or did he wait to see what Andrew would do. He decided to leave it up to Andrew. 

“Hey,” Andrew said. 

Buck felt like everyone was watching them. Tentatively, Buck moved towards Andrew. He smiled and went in for a quick hug, the kind that was awkward and unsure because Buck had no idea how familiar he was allowed to be. Andrew leaned into the hug, but he didn’t linger, pulling back and ending the hug quick as it had begun. 

“Really?” Hen asked. 

“What?” Buck said. 

“That hug was pathetic,” Hen said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s no wonder he doesn’t remember you if you can’t even hug him properly. Your boyfriend is home, Buck, you should be kissing him...I bet you haven’t even done that and he’s been awake for a while now.” There was judgement in her eyes at least instead of suspicion. 

Buck felt his cheeks go warm. He didn’t know what to say and over Andrew’s shoulder he met Chim’s eyes who looked like he found the whole thing hilarious and couldn’t wait to poke fun at the situation. No one else stepped forward to welcome Andrew home. 

“Uh, not doing that in front of all his family,” Buck said in a low tone. 

His eyes met Andrew’s and because they were still standing close enough, it didn’t take Andrew any effort at all to take Buck’s hand and pull him even closer. 

“What—”

Andrew made a show of rolling his eyes, he was smirking too in a strangely knowing way, the twists of his lips making it seem like he was accepting a challenge and then he drew Buck even closer and he kissed him. 

It was chaste, more of a peck than anything else and it lasted seconds and afterwards Andrew laughed and he threw an arm around Buck’s shoulders. Buck felt lost, like he had no idea what had just happened or why. The next few moments were a blur of standing close to Andrew who’s lips had felt fluffy and soft even while chapped, and who was still undeniably hot even after just getting out of the hospital. Kissing him was no hardship and a part of Buck — the part that still had a bit of a crush — wanted the kiss to last longer than it did. The trance was broken only once Andrew let him go and stepped back and then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, did any of you expect things to go there? I just love Andrew sooo much and he was particularly fun to write in this chapter. Let me know what you all thought and thanks for reading. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/621469012982923264/im-with-you-15) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting this chapter up. And this is one of my favorite chapters. Enjoy.

So maybe, he hadn’t planned on kissing Buck. But then, Buck had been standing there and everyone had been looking at them and Andrew didn’t do things by halves. He hadn’t planned to lay it on thick, but the more bemused that Buck looked, the more he wanted to push. Especially since whatever was going on with Eddie’s temper seemed a little related. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was more about Andrew than Buck, Eddie had always been quick to get angry at him, after all. 

Kissing a man was not unlike kissing a woman other than that Andrew felt absolutely nothing when he kissed Buck other than sheer amusement at Buck’s shock and how stiff he went. If Andrew hadn’t known before that they were nothing, this would have surely given it away. 

He moved away from Buck swiftly, hugging and shaking hands with his friends from work and still eyeing up the dog that was supposed to be his. Legolas was gorgeous, even Andrew could admit that, but he elicited nothing from Andrew. And not just that, Legolas didn’t seem that interested in him either. Legolas did like Buck, however. He might have been his dog rather than Andrew’s. 

As he walked around saying hello to everyone there, Andrew took some time to look around his house. He remembered it, but he could also tell there were things missing. Broken in the earthquake, he figured. But someone had gone through the trouble of cleaning everything up and setting up the party. He figured Hen was the one to blame for that and he wasn’t angry about it. He spotted Buck going to sit with his abuela and everything that Chim had said about Buck hit him, the way that Buck was so hungry to close up whatever loneliness surrounded him. He tore his eyes away from him, but not before he noticed the way that Pepa smiled at him because of course she’d been watching. 

Bobby threw an arm around him when he came upon him in the kitchen. 

“It’s good to see you out of the hospital,” Bobby said. 

“Yeah. I was getting tired of that room.” 

Bobby smiled. “Well, I have to get back to the grill, but Hen set up a bunch of chairs and stuff outside.” 

“So you guys let her go wild,” Andrew said. 

Bobby chuckled. 

Although he’d wanted to go up to take a look at his room, Andrew let them lead him outside. It was so much nicer to get to talk to anyone outside of the hospital, to catch up with his friends and find out everything he’d missed both at work and in their lives. At some point Legolas came out with the kids and it was sweet watching how much the kids seemed to enjoy the dog. 

“Still don’t remember the dog,” Chimney said, watching him. 

Andrew shook his head and then he looked at the kids and the dog again. “Doesn’t seem like he remembers me either.” 

\---

Andrew was still making the rounds and hugging and greeting everyone that he hadn’t gotten to so Buck did at least have a moment to try to compose himself because he had no idea what to do. He did feel someone’s eyes on him, though, and when he turned all he saw was Eddie, but Eddie was facing away from him. 

“Buck, come sit by me,” Isabel said in the middle of all of it. “Keep an old lady some company.”

Buck walked over and sat down without protest and he was surprised when Legolas jumped up to lay partially on his lap. 

“That dog really likes you,” Isabel said as she reached over to pet him. 

Buck smiled down at Legolas. Buck scratched Legolas’ head and ears. “He’s a good dog,” Buck said. 

“I suppose Andrew keeps him because of you, then,” Isabel said. “Says a lot about how Andrew feels about you. And I know it’s hard because he doesn’t remember things, but he will eventually and things will go back to normal. They’re already doing so now.” 

Normal would be Buck having nothing more than his job as a barista, Ali, and if he was lucky Josh and Chim would still talk to him. Normal would be Andrew walking into Coffee Time to pick up a mobile order and Buck not being able to meet his eyes or say anything to him. Normal would be not having anyone at all and being lonely all the time. Except that the more that Buck thought about it, the more he wanted something different. Even if he lost everyone he’d gotten to know over the last few weeks and he never got to see them again, that didn’t mean that they hadn’t made some difference in his life. He was stagnant and had been for too long, and Buck needed to do something for himself...he needed to figure out what came next. 

“Yeah,” Buck said. “I guess it will.” 

She pat his hand and smiled at him so warmly that it made Buck once again wish that things were different and that he could keep them all. Legolas nuzzled into his hand and Buck kept petting him. 

“Isabel,” Buck said, “what if there was—”

She cut him off. “You worry too much. Everything will be okay. He’ll remember you and if he doesn’t then you just have to make him fall for you again. Shouldn’t be that hard for you...seems to me he likes you a lot already.” 

Buck nodded and smiled even if his smile was shaky. 

Christopher appeared then with Denny in tow. 

“Buck, can we play with Legolas?” Christopher asked. 

“Of course but be careful with your wrist. It’s still healing,” Buck said and he nudged Legolas to get off his lap. 

Christopher caught Legolas’ attention at once and Buck watched as the boys walked away with the dog. 

“You know, he’s very good with Christopher,” Isabel said thoughtfully. 

Buck had often thought the same thing. Legolas was just really well trained and he figured that as a breed golden retrievers were kid friendly dogs but sometimes looking at the way that Legolas was with Christopher, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it. 

He sat with Isabel for a little while. She told him all about her stay at the hospital and before Buck could even try to apologise or explain about what happened with Christopher, Isabel brought it up herself and she was the first person to make him feel better about it. 

“Kids fall and they get scrapes and they break their bones and they grow stronger from it. They learn. My grandson has had his share of that...but it was an accident and it was an earthquake and from what he said, you made him feel safe.” 

Buck hadn’t know how to respond to that. But Isabel had touched his cheek lightly and smiled in a way that twisted his insides because of the guilt. 

“You’re good for them,” she said. 

Buck didn’t get to ask what she meant, because Josh called his name and Isabel just pushed him to go. Josh had him follow him through the kitchen. For the most part everyone had gone outside because it was a nice day and that’s where Hen had set up most of the party. Not to mention that there was just more room out there.

“So,” Josh said. “What was that?” 

“What?” 

Josh fixed him with a look. “You know what. The kiss, dummy.” 

“I don’t know,” Buck said. “It was a thing that happened. And I really really have to come clean about everything.’’

“Or you don’t,” Josh said. 

Buck rolled his eyes. “Don’t you feel even a little bit bad about this. Andrew is your friend, after all.” 

Josh just shrugged. 

They went outside where Andrew was sitting with Chimney, Eddie, Athena, and a couple of other firefighters that Buck didn’t know too well. They seemed like they were enjoying themselves, going off of the way they were laughing. Josh steered Buck over to them. 

Karen, Bobby, and Hen were over by the grill and Buck shot them a smile and wave when he and Josh passed them. He spotted Harry, Denny, and Christopher sitting on the ground with Legolas and a bunch of Legolas’ toys. 

“Buck, there you are,” Andrew said warmly. 

It made Buck feel strange as Andrew motioned for him to sit next to him and Josh nudged him until he moved. He was surprised when Andrew took his hand and even laced their fingers once Buck had sat down. Andrew’s hand were callused and rough and Buck felt weird holding it. 

“Does this mean you remember him?” Athena asked with a smile, eyeing up their hands. 

“Not yet,” Andrew said and he shot Buck a smile. “But I’ve been getting to know him. I kind of get why I’ve been dating him.” 

Buck couldn’t be sure, but he knew that Andrew couldn’t possibly be serious. The thing about Andrew was that it just wasn’t easy to tell if he was being completely truthful or if he already knew the truth. In the middle of everyone, Buck couldn’t exactly ask. 

Athena was smiling at them and Josh looked like he was trying to hold in laughter. Buck caught Chim’s eye next and Chim gave him a slight shrug of his shoulders. Eddie sitting next to Chimney looked like he had just eaten something that didn’t taste right and he didn’t look directly at either him or Andrew after the split second where Buck’s eyes met his. Instead, Eddie’s gaze was directed at his son. 

“But, okay,” Chimney said, “since he’s here and all, we’ve all been wondering about your good friend Josh. Since, the rest of us never knew anything about him until he showed up.” 

“And weirdly enough no one has thought to ask me,” Josh said complete with a pout that made Buck grin at him. Andrew laughed. 

“Well?” Chim said. 

“He’s a 9-1-1 dispatcher,” Andrew said. “Talked to him during a call and then we happened to be at the same bar and we got to talking and he’s a cool guy. I have friends outside of the 118, you know. Simple as that. I don’t have to tell all of you everything.” 

“Right,” Eddie said and his voice was a bit low and hard. “Like about your boyfriend and your dog.” 

Andrew let go of Buck’s hand but only so he could throw both hands up in the air. “Eddie, come on, don’t—”

Eddie shook his head. “I’m just saying that keeping secrets hasn’t exactly worked for you here, alright. You don’t know what it was like finding out that you’ve been keeping this huge thing secret. It sucked. None of us knew about him...or about you, apparently. Or your dog.”

“Eddie—”

Eddie shook his head, he stood up, and walked away without looking back, headed inside the house.

“This can’t be bothering him that much,’’ Andrew said to the others, looking thoughtful. “What does he have against me having a dog.” 

Chim and Josh laughed and Athena let out a chuckle, but Buck couldn’t. It wasn’t Legolas that had Eddie so upset. It was Buck. And since Buck shouldn’t have even been there...well, Eddie had no real reason to be upset at his brother. A part of Buck wanted to go after Eddie. He wanted to check on him so he could be sure that Eddie was okay and not somewhere angrily sulking. It did feel like a bit of an overreaction, but from the start Eddie had been annoyed about not knowing about Buck. 

“Go check on him,” Andrew said, nudging him, as if he could tell that it was what Buck wanted. “He’s been acting off all day and you’ve become friends, right?” 

“I — sure,” Buck said. 

Andrew nudged him with his leg. 

Eddie had gone back into the house, but he wasn’t in the kitchen and Pepa and Isabel were still in the living room. It was a bit tempting to stop there and just tell them everything. He’d been filled with guilt earlier when he was talking to Isabel. Maybe the best way would be to tell everyone in smaller groups so he could really explain it all. 

“Buck, everything okay?” Pepa asked. 

“Yeah...have you seen Eddie?”

“Went out to the front,” Pepa said. “Said he was getting something from his car.”

Buck nodded. “Thanks. I’ll go...I’ll go—” he motioned towards the door, not being able to find an explanation for why he wanted to go after Eddie. 

The door stuck to the doorframe a bit still, something left over from the earthquake that Andrew would need to get fixed. Buck had no idea if Andrew owned the place or was renting, but either way it was bound to get annoying. He forced the door closed and turned to look out at the front yard but he couldn’t see Eddie. His truck was still there though, and Buck let out a sigh. He hadn’t left. When he turned slightly to the left, he found Eddie. 

Eddie was leaning against the house just a few feet from the door, but he was watching Buck and when Buck met his gaze he didn’t look away immediately, instead he kept looking at Buck as if to make up for all the times that he’d looked away or avoided his gaze since he’d arrived at Andrew’s house. 

“Hey,” Buck said. “You okay? Andrew sent me to check on you. He says you’ve been acting weird all day.” 

Eddie didn’t say anything and he was completely still, but his gaze never faltered from Buck. Buck stepped closer, moving to stand in front of Eddie who looked like he was trying to decide something. 

“It’s nothing,” Eddie said. 

“Clearly it’s something,” Buck said. 

Maybe he could tell Eddie. Maybe he could start with him since he had him alone again. It was like that day outside the hospital right before Chimney showed up to tell them that Andrew was awake and Buck had been so close to spilling everything. He knew Eddie would be hardest one though. Not Andrew. Not even Isabel or Pepa or even Athena. No, Eddie was the one that would be the hardest to tell and Buck didn’t really want to admit to himself why it was going to hurt to lose him the most. That’s what was going to happen, after all, when the truth finally came out. He would lose all of them. Maybe not Chim or Josh, but Buck knew very well that none of the rest of them would want anything to do with him.

“What if it is something, then,” Eddie said with a sigh and he closed his eyes.

The thing about Eddie was that he was that kind of effortlessly handsome. At the moment his jaw was covered in scruff, and his hair was swept back. He looked quite at peace, almost like one of those statues made of marble that were so easy to admire. Looking at him made Buck want to touch him, to run his fingers through his hair or to find out if his scruff was rough and prickly or softer. 

Eddie’s eyes opened and his deep brown eyes were on Buck for a long moment before he ducked his head. “It is something,” he said. 

“Okay,” Buck said, hoping that was enough prompt for Eddie to keep talking. 

“I mean isn’t it better to just keep quiet? To let things go and let them happen and not make things worse?” Eddie asked and his forehead crinkled into a frown. 

Buck’s heart was beating fast. Did he know? Did Eddie somehow know that Buck was this huge liar and...

“Because it’s eating at me and I’ve tried to bury it and push past it and I can’t. I can’t, Buck. But it makes me...I hate—”

“Eddie, what are you talking about?” 

Eddie dropped Buck’s gaze and he leaned his head back on the house with a small thump before he straightened up and pushed off of the house. Buck followed his movements, as he stepped sideways and started to pace on the porch. 

“That’s the thing,” Eddie said in a loud hiss. “It doesn’t matter. It can’t matter because he’s my freaking brother and I can’t be this person that…” he trailed off and his hands were in his hair. 

He stood several feet away from Buck, seemingly frozen with his fingers in his hair and his eyes blazing with something that didn’t quite make sense to Buck. 

“Eddie, I don’t—”

In a few long strides, Eddie was suddenly there in Buck’s space, standing so close that Buck could make out the color of his eyes perfectly, the way that they were a dark chocolate brown deep and beautiful. Buck didn’t know how much time passed while he stared into Eddie’s eyes trying his hardest to catalogue the color, but the next thing he knew was Eddie’s hand on his hip, not quite gripping but hot and there. 

Buck was confused. He had no idea what to do or what to think. It was as if Eddie’s very proximity had taken away his ability to think about anything but Eddie right there inches from him and moving closer. 

Buck somehow managed to try and speak, his lips parting with a question ready at the tip of his tongue, but it all disappeared the moment that Eddie surged forward and kissed him. 

It was possessive and hard, Eddie dragging Buck’s body so that the few inches left between them were gone and the hand not on his hip found its way to Buck’s neck, helping to tilt Buck’s face for the kiss. The kiss was hot and deep and left Buck breathless with how intense it was. When it ended and they were standing pressed together, he was breathing hard for the few seconds that Eddie allowed before they were kissing again and Eddie’s thumb was caressing Buck’s jaw leaving a trail of heat. 

Buck couldn’t think. He could only feel...and he wanted Eddie. He wanted Eddie more than anything. More than he’d ever wanted anyone before. The world faded away and with it all the guilt and all the things that had been hanging over him. All that mattered was the way that Eddie’s heart was beating and that Buck could feel it, and the way that Eddie tasted and felt and smelled...things that Buck wanted to file away in his mind forever. 

But the world had a way of rearing its head, reality bringing everything back with loud laughter and barking from inside Andrew’s house. 

One second Buck was still pressed up against Eddie and the next Eddie pushed him away hard. Buck stumbled back in surprise, bumping into the banister. When Buck looked at Eddie again, he was panting and staring at him and looking worse than how Buck had found him. Wrecked. 

Eddie ran his hands through his hair in a less agitated manner than before and he wouldn’t meet Buck’s eyes and then without saying a thing he walked back into the house leaving Buck outside feeling the weight of everything that happened falling on him. 

“What the fuck,” Buck said just as his phone started ringing. This time it wasn’t an unknown number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo what did everyone think? Can you tell why this is one of my favorites? 
> 
> Not sure when the next chapter will be up because editing is still happening and I also took a detour and wrote a small ficlet featuring a mediator Buck which you can check out both on my tumblr and ao3 in the meanwhile. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/622120263714324481/im-with-you-16) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a little while since the last chapter. But I am trying to get back on track and getting work on this done. So I’m hoping it won’t be too long a wait between chapters. Enjoy.

“What’s up with Eddie?”

Chimney shrugged at Hen. “I have no idea,” he said. 

Chimney had definitely noticed that Eddie was in some kind of mood from the moment he and Andrew arrived, enough so that it had made Chimney wonder if Andrew had told Eddie about Buck. But Eddie had silently brooded so Chimney had figured that it wasn’t that. If Eddie found out about Buck lying about who he was to Andrew he would have caused some kind of scene. Eddie wasn’t the type to silently sulk about anything especially something as big as that. So, he didn’t know. It was something else. 

The other thing that Chimney noticed was that Andrew was going full on boyfriend on Buck who didn’t seem to know what to do other than to go with it even though if anyone had been paying attention to him they might have noticed his shock. That kiss had been so unexpected that Chim had had to try and mask his shocked expression. Josh had looked plenty surprised too. But worse had come when they were asking Andrew about Josh and Eddie had just jumped down his brother’s throat before storming off. Maybe it was all the secrets that were really bothering him. Chim had somehow not expected that to become this. 

Chim had known Eddie long enough to know that Eddie could have a bit of a temper. And the person that could usually talk Eddie down from that was his brother, but Andrew made no move to go after him when he stormed off and no one could blame him considering that Andrew was only just out of the hospital and that his memory still wasn’t fully back. And then Buck followed Eddie. 

Andrew somehow seemed pleased about that so Chim moved to Buck’s vacated seat. 

“What are you up to?”

“Me? Nothing.” 

Chimney rolled his eyes. “Right,” he said just as Denny and Christopher went past with Legolas at their heels barking. 

“You were right,” Andrew said. “About Buck. He is a good guy.”

“Is that what that kiss was about?” Chim asked, keeping his voice low just in case. 

Andrew laughed. “No. Although, did you see his face?” He kept laughing and Chim was just glad to see Andrew so happy.

It was a while before Eddie came back, but before he did Chim did get a text from Buck. 

**I had to go. Let everyone know I’m sorry but something came up.**

Something like Eddie yelling at him? Had they argued...had Eddie made Buck leave? Had Buck maybe told Eddie the truth and had that not ended well? Chim was ready to call Buck and find out what happened when another text came through. 

**My landlord called. I had to go check on something.**   
**Apologize to Isabel and Pepa for me. Andrew too.**

So maybe something unrelated had happened. It didn’t make Chim feel any better about it because now he was worried about Buck especially since he was being so vague and because Chimney didn’t see Eddie anywhere. 

“What happened?” Andrew asked. 

“Buck left. Something about his landlord calling him. Had to leave in a hurry, I guess.” 

“What’s that?” Hen asked. 

Chimney repeated himself to Hen and then got up. He figured he should listen to Buck and let Pepa and Isabel know. It was while he was telling them and Pepa was on the verge of calling Buck herself, that Eddie returned, coming from upstairs for some reason. 

“Probably no need to bother him right now,” Chimney said. “He’s probably driving. I think it’s just something to do with his apartment.”

“I’ll call him later and make sure he’s okay, the poor dear,” Pepa said with a nod. 

“Que paso?” Eddie asked, addressing his abuela and Pepa first before looking to Chim. “What happened?” 

“Buck left,” Chimney said. 

Eddie paled a little at the words. He looked weird, maybe a tad guilty and that made Chimney wonder if Buck had been making excuses and Eddie really was the reason he’d left. It wouldn’t surprise him. So, Chimney eyed Eddie, but Eddie looked away. 

“His landlord called him,” Chimney added. 

Eddie gave a short nod instead of an answer. 

—-

Buck could still feel the ghost of Eddie’s lips, the taste of the beer that Eddie had been drinking, and remember how warm and strong his hands had been where they touched him. Buck had no idea how he’d managed to text Chim or how he’d managed to also drive home, but he did. When he arrived, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary but while Eddie’s kiss was right there at the forefront of his mind, so was the phone call. 

Buck didn’t lie to Chimney when he texted him that it was a call from his landlord, but he hadn’t known how to say why his landlord called. The words were repeating themselves in his head. 

“There’s a woman here looking for you that claims to be your sister. Maddie Kendall.” 

Buck hadn’t been able to say more than just “I’ll be right there. You can...you can let her into my apartment.”

Maddie was in his apartment. His sister that he hadn’t seen or heard from in years was in his apartment. 

It took Buck a little longer than necessary to get out of his Jeep and walk towards the apartment building and then to drag it out a bit longer, he even took the stairs. A part of him just didn’t believe that this was even happening and mostly, he was a bit concerned about what had prompted her to show up at his apartment without any kind of warning. 

When he got there, he lingered at the door for a moment before he opened the door. She wasn’t in the kitchen or in the living room. Then, Buck heard the water running. He was both glad and a bit miffed about having to wait to see her. As he stepped into his kitchen for a drink, Buck let his mind wander back to Eddie. 

Eddie had kissed him. Buck grabbed a water bottle and he pressed his fingers to his lips. It had been a good and proper kiss. Eddie hadn’t hesitated for a moment and all of that had been nothing short of hot. If he closed his eyes, he could go back to that moment and remember every little nuance, the way that Eddie had been in his space and how Buck could feel the way his heart was beating and how his hand had felt on his hip and how that almost gentle hold had been nothing like the passion that was imparted in their kiss. 

Buck was so distracted, trying not to even think about what it all meant or how the heat of their bodies pressed together had turned ice cold the moment that Eddie pushed him away and ran away, that he dropped his unopened water bottle and jumped when his sister coughed behind him to get his attention. 

Right. That’s why he came home. Maddie. 

Maddie’s hair was dripping on her shoulders and her hands were clutching one of his towels. She smiled at him but it was tentative and maybe a little sad. Still, she was there and although he had questions and plenty of them, the first thing he felt was an odd relief at seeing her and then he stepped forward and Maddie’s smile grew. 

“Hi, Evan,” she said and then hugged him.

Hugging his sister was like a breath of fresh air, it was like he’d gotten a part of himself back because she was there with him and she was someone he loved and that he’d been missing for so long that it made him forget everything else. He forgot about Andrew and the lie and the family that he wasn’t a part of and Legolas and most importantly Eddie and that kiss. Although, maybe not that kiss.

“You’re really here,” Buck said. “I didn’t really believe my landlord when she called. Not when I haven’t heard from you ages.” 

Maddie chuckled as she stepped back. “I kinda frightened her a bit. She almost called the police.”

“How are you — how did you know where to even go? How are you here? Maddie, what happened?” 

At that question, Maddie’s shoulders dropped. “I’m passing by,” she said and then casually, “I left Doug.” 

“You left Doug,” Buck repeated. 

He knew without her saying anything that things hadn’t gone well with Doug. Buck had never known him well enough to figure him out other than to know that he had never liked him. Maddie had said she loved him and she’d seemed happy and that was enough for Buck. He’d been so young back then and Maddie had told him that he just didn’t know Doug.

“I’ve been wanting to for a while and then...well, I had to do it. So, I planned and I packed and I left. He was calling me non-stop so I ditched my phone but I tried to call you a few times and I just didn’t know what to say. How do you explain that? But I didn’t want to just show up...but I guess I ended up doing that anyway.” 

“Not to mom and dad,” Buck said as he suddenly understood all the phone calls with no one on the other side. 

She shook her head. “They don’t know. I didn’t — don’t tell them.”

Buck didn’t even keep in contact with them. Her secret was safe with him. 

“I won’t be here long,” Maddie said. “Just a few days and then I’m out of your hair. But, I must say, Buck, I didn’t expect you to have a place as nice as this.” She glanced around. 

Buck shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t try to let the disappointment sink in. He would only have her for a few days. It was just like Maddie to show up unannounced like it hadn’t been years since the last time Buck saw her just to stick around for a few days and leave him again. She probably had no idea what it would do to him, or how it hurt to think about her leaving again when she had only just come back to his life. 

“Stay longer,” Buck said. “Where are you running off to?” 

“Can’t stay anywhere long, Buck. He’ll — he’ll find me. I can’t—”

“Does Doug even know I’m in LA?” 

She shook her head, but she looked afraid which suddenly communicated to Buck fully that she was genuinely scared that Doug would find her. Any resentment that he felt for the lack of communication from her — at least it could be explained by her husband being a douchebag — didn’t fade, but he wanted to help her. Maddie was his sister and Buck loved her. His family might not have been the best example of what family was like, but Buck had learned plenty from the Diazes and from Andrew’s extended family at the 118, he couldn’t just let Maddie go without trying to make things better for her in some way or another. 

“Stay here. Maddie, I don’t mind you staying with me. We can figure something out. You can’t just keep running. Here at least you’ll have me and you’ll be okay. And I have some friends at the hospital. There’s a nurse that definitely owes me one, so I could even find you a job if you wanted and—”

Maddie touched his arm and she shook her head. “I can’t, Evan. Looking over my shoulder...not knowing who might walk into a hospital. I can’t do that and help people. I can’t…”

Buck nodded. “Stay anyway?” he asked, hopefully.

She looked doubtful and pained and Buck didn’t want to insist or guilt her into staying, but he wanted her to and he wanted her to realize that he could help her and he wasn’t the useless kid brother he’d been once. Before he could say anything, his phone rang and at least this time he knew it wouldn’t be an unknown number. 

It was Pepa. 

“Hi,” Buck said and at once, “I am so sorry I had to duck out early, Pepa. How are things over there? How’s Andrew doing?” 

Pepa laughed. “Oh, you’re such a sweet boy, Buck. He’s almost back to his old self, if I’m honest. I think it’s helping him to be home. I wanted to check on you. It’s not anything serious over at your place, is it? Chimney said something about your landlord.”

Maddie was watching him, clearly curious. 

“No, no. Everything’s fine. My sister showed up unexpectedly.”

“Oh, that’s great! You should bring her here. Yes, please do. We’d all love to meet her and this party is not winding down any time soon. We haven’t even cut the cake.” 

Buck froze for a moment and looked at Maddie. It would be a stupid move to bring her along. 

“What?” Maddie asked. 

“Uh, I think she’s tired from travelling,” Buck said into the phone. 

“Buck, who is that?” Maddie asked. 

He knew that Pepa wasn’t going to take no for an answer. And Buck realized that it was more than just Maddie that he wanted to avoid by returning. Eddie would still be there after all and Buck had no clue how to deal with him and the kiss and then Andrew too who all day had been acting like some doting boyfriend. Not to mention that it would mean explaining everything to Maddie. 

“I really don’t think—”

“Nonsense, Buck. You don’t even have to stay long. Everyone’s already here and I know you don’t want to miss out on this. It’s Andrew’s first day out of the hospital after all and you’re so important to him..” 

There it was, the sneaky guilt trip as if Buck didn’t already feel bad enough. His stomach was churning. 

“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” Buck said, slowly. 

“See you in a bit then,” Pepa said and hung up before Buck could tell her he changed his mind. 

“What was that?” Maddie asked. “Who was that?” 

And Buck hadn’t even considered the question of what he was going to tell Maddie about the whole thing. The truth, his mind supplied. It wasn’t like he would be able to lie to Maddie and nor did he want to. He was already lying to enough people. 

“So, there’s this thing that happened,” Buck said. “It wasn’t entirely my fault but I guess I’ve let it go on for far longer than I should have and things got complicated.” 

Complicated was maybe an understatement. 

Maddie raised an eyebrow at him. “Go on,” she said. 

Buck took a breath. “I saved this guy from getting run over by a car,” Buck said because he figured that starting from there made the most sense. “I, um, I kind of had a crush on him. He used to come into Coffee Time practically every day and I never really built up the courage to talk to him. Anyway, he’s straight so it doesn’t even matter, I guess. But I had this whole fantasy built up in my head that I would talk to him one day.” 

“Evan, you’re rambling a little there. Wanna get to the point?” 

She was leaning against his counter, her wet hair still dripping on her shoulders. 

“Okay. So the firefighters and EMTs got there and I couldn’t not go with them to the hospital. So I did and they wouldn’t tell me anything because—”

“You’re not family,” Maddie said. 

“Right,” Buck said. “So I was speaking out loud and one of the nurses mistook my words and somehow thought I said I was his boyfriend and since I did want to see him I went with it.”

Maddie’s eyes had gone wide. “Oh, Evan,” she said. 

Buck hung his head. She didn’t even really know the worst of it, but he could tell that she was already catching up to what had happened, filling in the rest of the story in her head. 

“I wanted to leave before anyone else got there but then Athena showed up and she’s a Police Sergeant. Scared me a bit, I thought she was there to escort me out but then his abuela and aunt got there with all of his coworkers and I couldn’t tell them it was a misunderstanding.”

Maddie was watching him closely. “Evan, you haven’t been lying to these people have you?” She asked and when Buck didn’t answer she gasped. “You have! You really have been...oh my god. How could you do that?” 

And there it was...his big sister who had practically raised him and had always been a bit of a nag when it came to how Buck needed to act. Morality and all the things that they couldn’t have gotten from their parents. 

Buck nodded slowly. “I’ve been trying to come clean. It was just that Andrew was in a coma and his grandmother was so happy when she heard about me and him and that first day she looked like she was going to have a heart attack or something and I couldn’t be responsible for that and he woke up and I figured that would be it, but he has amnesia and so—”

“That’s worse!” Maddie said. “Buck, that is so much worse. You have to tell them the truth. You can’t keep doing this. It’s wrong.” 

Buck let out a sigh. “Yes, Maddie, I’m well aware. And I want to tell them. I do. I was going to do it today at that party but then…”

“I showed up,” Maddie said, softly. 

It was probably better for her to think that was the reason. He couldn’t tell her about Eddie and the swirl of feelings that resided inside him for that man. Buck didn’t think he loved him, the problem was that he could. Loving Eddie would be easy and that...that made everything else harder. Buck just didn’t know if Eddie would feel anything for him once the truth came out and once he knew that the guy he’d kissed was a person that had lied to everyone in his family for weeks. 

—-

He kissed Buck. 

Eddie had stared at himself in the upstairs bathroom mirror for the better part of twenty minutes, trying to rationalize what he’d done. It was just that he was jealous and angry and that Buck had looked too good not to kiss. So, Eddie just had no self control and he had to show Buck that he could kiss him better than Andrew ever could. And Buck...Buck had kissed back. 

Eddie didn’t know if that made Eddie an even worse person, or if Buck shared that with him because Buck kissed him back and cheated on Andrew. Eddie couldn’t dwell on that much because his mind was taken over by how amazing it had been to kiss him. Eddie couldn’t remember the last time he’d kissed someone in the same desperate way that he’d done with Buck. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever even felt that need and that want before because he’d been so overcome by it to the point of not being able to think about anything else but how much he wanted Buck. 

He was a horrible person. 

It took him a while to splash water in his face and to flatten down his hair. Buck was probably somewhere downstairs likely sitting next to Andrew and holding his hand and pretending nothing happened. Or maybe, he’d told Andrew and it was something else waiting for him when he got down there. 

“He’s not yours to have any claim over,” Eddie muttered to himself. “Get yourself together.” 

Eddie needed to forget what happened and he needed to remember that despite that kiss, he couldn’t stand in the way of his brother and Buck. When he went back down, though, Buck was gone and Eddie felt something drop to the pit of his stomach because Buck could have only left because of what Eddie did. 

Which mostly meant that Eddie had put him in a tough situation. Buck was too decent to lie to Andrew, but he hadn’t gone and told him what happened either. Eddie was going to need to call him up and apologize and maybe take it back or explain and be rejected because Buck so clearly loved Andrew and even though Andrew didn’t even fully remember Buck, he seemed to be remembering how he felt about him. Eddie couldn’t come in between them. He couldn’t hurt his brother and he couldn’t hurt Buck. If that kiss was all that he would get out of it, then that would be it and Eddie would just have to get over it. 

Without Buck around, Eddie let himself relax some. He tried not to think about Buck while he sat down next to Hen. Andrew looked at him with a curious stare, but he didn’t ask anything outright. He got lost to listening to the conversation around him until Athena stood up to go help Bobby with the food and he followed her. 

“He’s looking a hell of a lot better,” Athena said. 

“How long until he’s back at work?” Eddie asked, directing the question at Bobby. 

“The doctors need to clear him, but as soon as he’s ready, I expect. I’m surprised he hasn’t started pushing for it.” 

Eddie chuckled. They were right, too. His brother was being quite calm about not being at work yet. At first, he’d assumed that it was to do with his lack of memory, but he had most of his memory back and definitely a lot of his memory relating to work. 

He helped Bobby with putting all the food out on the counter in Andrew’s kitchen. He was distractedly making up a plate for Christopher when he heard the front door open and close. He heard abuela and Pepa talking out in the living room, but he didn’t give it a second thought as he started cutting up his son’s food. 

Then, he heard Hen yell “Buck! You’re back.” And he almost dropped the food and had to pause and compose himself before he got back on task, taking his time as a distraction while around him the others were grabbing food. 

When it was finally unavoidable, Eddie went to find Christopher to give him his food. 

“And please eat and don’t feed the dog. He has his own food.” 

Christopher giggled a bit. “Okay.” 

When he got back to the kitchen, Hen was there making a plate for herself. 

“Buck’s back,” she said. “He’s in the living room.” 

Before Eddie could stop himself, he peered out to the living room. Buck was back and standing next to him was a pretty smiling brunette. They were in the middle of talking with Pepa and abuela so Eddie had a moment to take Buck in and the thing about looking at Buck was that Eddie had a hard time looking away. He was smiling at the moment, his birthmark stood out starkly on his skin and nothing about him suggested that anything had happened before he took off. He wasn’t in turmoil like Eddie was, instead he seemed to be ignoring it. 

“Eddie, come meet Buck’s sister,” Pepa called out to him and Eddie was surprised when he was caught, but even more surprised when he processed Pepa’s words. 

Buck’s sister. Maddie. The sister that Buck hadn’t seen in years and that didn’t respond to his messages or Christmas cards but that suddenly Buck seemed happy to have at his side. He stepped forward.

“Hi,” Maddie said. “So you’re the boyfriend, then? I can see that. You’re definitely his type.”

Eddie knew his face was red. He could feel the heat of it and especially so because he wished that was the case. Pepa laughed and Buck was shaking his head. 

“No, Maddie. No, this isn’t him,” Buck said and his blue eyes never looked at Eddie dead on. So maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as Eddie thought. 

“Oh,” Maddie said. “Sorry. It’s just I’m only just finding out about all of this.” 

“No worries,” Eddie said and it made him feel so guilty because of how much he did want to be the boyfriend. 

“Andrew is somewhere in the backyard, dear,” Pepa said. “And the food is all out so you should both go on and help yourselves. You’re probably starving. You too, Eddie. Go on and eat something.” 

Eddie noted how Pepa had yet to grab food for herself, but he didn’t point it out because he was sure she would do it soon. Buck and Maddie passed him by towards the kitchen and Eddie followed close behind, wondering how it was possible that Buck’s estranged sister was there with them. 

“So your landlord did call you,” Eddie said. 

Buck didn’t turn back to look at him. “Yup,” he said. 

And Buck still didn’t seem all that affected at all by what had happened between them. He wasn’t replaying it in his mind and wanting it again like Eddie was. It didn’t seem to even be a thought to him. Or maybe his sister showing up had shoved that all aside. Eddie needed to figure out how to be as good as Buck was at doing that especially when the reality was that Buck and Andrew would be together and Eddie would be the brother-in-law and the friend and nothing more than that. 

Buck and Maddie didn’t stop in the kitchen. He didn’t follow them outside to where Andrew was, not wanting to see how that might go. Instead he lingered in the kitchen and wondered about Maddie showing up and what that might have done to Buck. He’d heard Buck talk about her a few times and each time it had been so obvious that Buck was hurt by the abandonment he’d felt. She’d caused some damage on Buck and yet she was back and he was seemingly happy to have her. 

Eddie watched from the window and he saw Legolas bounding towards Buck and Maddie. She screamed a little, jumping back and Buck laughed as he fell to his knees to wrap an arm around the dog and pet him. Eddie couldn’t help but chuckle as Maddie joined her brother and met Legolas, getting a lick on the cheek for getting too close. 

“Still brooding?” 

Eddie turned, not surprised to find Chim there.

“I’m not brooding,” he said. 

Chimney laughed. “Well it’s that or you’re mooning over Buck. So which is it?” 

“What are you—” Eddie spluttered out. “I am not doing either of those things.” 

“Come on, Eddie. Admit it. You like him.” 

Chimney said it not like he was trying to get an answer from Eddie, but like he already knew how Eddie felt about Buck. 

Denying it would get him nowhere with Chim. “He’s with Andrew,” he said instead because that was the truth. 

“Eddie—”

Eddie gave Chim a tight smile and Chim shook his head but left instead of saying anything else. 

Outside, Buck and Maddie had sat down and Andrew was pushing his plate towards Buck while Buck shook his head. Maddie seemed to be watching them too, head tilted and interested and Eddie wondered what she was thinking. He was distracted enough by watching Maddie, that he didn’t notice Buck leave Andrew’s side and enter the kitchen. 

Eddie inhaled when he saw him. He still looked perfect. Far too perfect. 

“Hi,” Buck said and he started making up two plates. 

“Hi,” Eddie said back and it felt awkward and difficult. For a moment no other words wanted to come out until he cleared his throat as if to dispel whatever was blocking him from talking. “So your sister showed up.” 

“Yeah,” Buck said. “No warning whatsoever, just showed up at my place.” 

“You could have done that to her. Guess you don’t have to anymore.” 

Buck shook his head. “I guess not.” 

“Everyone seems to like her.”

“Yeah, Maddie’s great,” Buck said and he was smiling.

Eddie wanted nothing more than to cross the space that separated them and kiss that smile but he had to restrain himself. He closed up his fist and dug his nails into the palm of his hands. 

“Buck, I’m—”

“Eddie,” Buck said at the same time. 

Maddie appeared at the door, interrupting both of them and she looked between them and gasped as if something had been made clear to her. 

Eddie didn’t understand it, not until she had whirled upon Buck. “Are you kidding me?” she asked and her voice was loud, almost a shriek. “Seriously, you’re sleeping with Eddie? Buck, what the fuck?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo that happened. 
> 
> As some of you guessed correctly, it was indeed Maddie calling Buck. And I have to say that from the moment that I realized I wanted to bring Maddie into the story that I pictured the last scene of this chapter happening and I loved getting to write it. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/623659825672421376/im-with-you-17) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	18. Chapter 18

It was watching Legolas with the kids as the day went on that brought the dog back into his memory and it fit in with other things that he’d started to remember. It in no way changed Andrew’s opinion on dogs. The dog felt like the last piece of the puzzle that was his memory because nothing felt strange or foreign anymore. Ever since he’d returned home it had felt like more and more was coming back and he knew better than to expect to remember Buck. Except that he did strangely enough. 

Andrew couldn’t be sure if it was because someone had mentioned that Buck was a barista, but Andrew did remember him handing Andrew the coffee order for the 118 every time he went to pick it up at Coffee Time. He remembered him because it was nearly always Buck taking care of his order and Andrew tended to be good with remembering faces unless of course he had amnesia. 

Andrew hadn’t expected Buck to come back after leaving. It was even more surprising when he arrived with his sister. Andrew had been under the impression that Buck had no one, but there he was with a woman standing next to him. 

“Didn’t someone say he doesn’t have any family?” Andrew asked Josh.

“That’s what I thought too.” 

Maddie’s smile was the first thing that Andrew noticed. Next he noticed that she was quite pretty. Although Maddie was friendly, Andrew couldn’t help but also notice that she stuck close to her brother and there was definitely a story there in her reappearance in Buck’s life. Andrew didn’t ask when Buck sat down by him mostly because he didn’t think it was his place and he didn’t want to ask in front of Maddie. What Andrew couldn’t tell was if Maddie knew about Buck’s lie or if she, like everyone else, thought that Andrew was Buck’s boyfriend. 

After trying to get Buck to eat some of the food off his plate, mostly because it was fun to try and feed Buck while Buck tried to dodge his attempts, Buck got up to get his own food. His sister followed.

It wasn’t long after they were gone that shit hit the fan and Andrew could have never once predicted it. 

“Are you kidding me? Seriously, you’re sleeping with Eddie? Buck, what the fuck?” Maddie’s words carried over to them. 

“Shit,” Andrew said mostly to himself. 

Everyone’s eyes had turned to him. Chimney looked like he’d just taken a drink of water and it went down the wrong way. No one said anything and it almost felt like they were waiting to see what happened next. Worst of all, Andrew had no idea if what Maddie had yelled out was true or not. If it was...well, he didn’t think Eddie would ever do that to him. 

Someone touched his elbow and when he looked it was Hen. She was frowning at him, her eyes filled with concern. 

“Are you okay?”

Buck wasn’t his boyfriend. Andrew had no reason to be upset...except that maybe he had a right to be offended or something? Either way, it was definitely cramping his plans to keep the ruse going. Although, maybe this also gave him an out especially if it turned out to be true. Andrew was pretty sure it wasn’t true. 

He didn’t get a chance to answer Hen because there was a commotion inside and Andrew couldn’t stop himself from pushing past everyone else and rushing inside. Legolas was just ahead of him and he was barking. In the kitchen his eyes found Maddie first. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was looking at Buck and shaking her head, her lips pursed. Buck looked stricken, his eyes were glassy. Last, he found Eddie who stood in front of a broken plate and food that Legolas rushed over to eat up. 

“What’s going on here?” Andrew asked, careful. 

Buck looked towards him first, eyes widening at seeing him and there were apologies written all over his face. Was it true, then? Andrew stepped further in, but before he could do or say anything, he saw Pepa enter from the living room and she looked livid. Andrew had seen his tia angry only a few times but it had never been directed at him or Eddie. Her anger was usually at their dad or her own kids. 

“Edmundo, es verdad?” she asked, calm but with weight behind it. And then she didn’t let Eddie say a word before she continued on. “No te puedo creer, Eddie! El es el novio de tu hermano...si pudiste hacer esto. I can’t believe it. I’m disappointed and ashamed of you.” 

[“Edmundo, is it true?”...“I can’t believe you, Eddie! He’s your brother’s boyfriend...if you could do that. I can’t believe it. I’m disappointed and ashamed of you.”]

But Buck wasn’t his boyfriend and maybe that was the thing that would clear everything up. Behind him, the others were coming in and Chimney somehow ended up next to him. 

“Do something,” Chim muttered. “She looks like she’s ready to slap him. On your behalf.”

“Pepa, I wasn’t—” Eddie began.

“No te puedo ni mirar,” Pepa said and it was filled with disappointment, his words cutting and full of disgust. 

[“I can’t even look at you”]

Andrew stepped forward, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to say or do. Then Buck was there, putting a hand on Andrew’s elbow.

“Buck,” Andrew said. 

Buck shook his head at him and he moved past Andrew towards Pepa. 

“I’m not sleeping with Eddie,” he said. “My sister has no idea what she’s talking about.” Buck’s gaze fell on Maddie, then, and Andrew noted how tight Buck’s jaw was. “Pepa, that’s the truth. Nothing has happened between me and Eddie.” 

Maddie had backed up into a wall and one of her hands covered her mouth. She was frowning and looked like she would start crying at any moment. A part of Andrew wanted to go over there and make sure she knew that on his account she had nothing to worry about. He thought she whispered “I’m sorry”. 

Andrew saw his abuela approach, then, moving slowly but like the strong woman that she was. “Buck,” she said, “what is happening?”

Buck took a glance around at all of them because of course everyone had come in to see what was happening. They had no shame in their curiosity. Andrew knew, suddenly, what Buck was going to do and there was nothing he could do to stop him. It was his choice.

Andrew had wanted to drag on the teasing for a while longer, but he’d also planned to eventually talk to Buck about everything to find an easy way for the truth to come out. Their hands were being forced. Andrew wasn’t going to stop Buck from coming clean, though. So, he hung back and watched Buck knowing already that what Buck was doing was very brave and also very stupid. But maybe Buck already knew that, had resigned himself to that. Andrew could only watch and at least he was a little more knowledgeable than everyone else. 

—-

Isabel looked okay. It was the one thing that Buck took notice of when he spotted her, but he still moved towards her before he did anything else and he offered his hand. She took it, even while looking confused and frowning at him. She’d heard of course, maybe even the bit from Pepa. 

“I’m sorry,” Buck said and it felt important. She was the one that he needed to apologize to first and the one that he hoped wouldn’t be affected in a bad way. 

“What for? You don’t need to—”

“I do,” Buck said and he gave her hand a squeeze. “It was never supposed to be like this. I’m sorry.” 

Buck looked to Pepa next and she didn’t look like she would welcome any apologies. The way she looked at him lacked all the warmth that had been usually present and Buck just took a deep breath. This...it was everything he’d expected. Still, he braced himself. 

“I’m sorry,” Buck muttered to her. “Truly. But it’s time to tell the truth.” 

“The truth,” Pepa said and her eyes flickered from him to Eddie. 

Buck shook his head. He couldn’t keep looking at Pepa, but Buck refused to look in the direction of Eddie who had been quiet since Maddie had gone and ruined everything. Buck had expected him to say something — anything at all — but instead it was as if he’d lost his ability to speak. Maybe it was shock or he was holding himself back. Either way, Buck was glad that he wasn’t making all of it worse. 

It had been a mistake to bring Maddie, Buck knew. Or maybe it had been a mistake to trust Maddie with the truth. Buck had planned on telling everyone everything before Maddie showed up and before Eddie kissed him and...and he’d let this drag on for far longer than he should have. He had let it get complicated. 

The moment that Athena had entered that hospital room should have been the start and end. The moment that Andrew woke up should have been the moment that he walked away or told the truth. He’d been a coward both times. 

Buck couldn’t quite look at the rest of them, but his eyes fixed themselves on Andrew. He deserved a direct apology as well. In some ways, he deserved it more than anyone else because Buck had added to the confusion that his amnesia brought. The guilt when it came to that had nee gnawing at him for a while. 

Andrew, to Buck’s surprise, reached out for him first, grabbing both of Buck’s shaking hands. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t know what. He looked like he was trying to offer Buck support. There was no anger and no confusion, just acceptance. That made Buck feel even worse. He didn’t deserve that. 

“I’m really sorry,” Buck said. “I shouldn’t have let this get so out of hand.” 

Andrew actually smiled a bit, the corner of his lips turning up. His hands gave Buck’s a light squeeze. 

“You shouldn’t have,” Andrew said. 

“The thing is,” Buck said. “I’m not your boyfriend.” 

“I know,” Andrew said with a smile. 

He knew. Of course he knew. Buck wanted to laugh, he wanted to allow himself to find that funny, but he couldn’t. If he were honest with himself, Buck could admit that he already knew that Andrew knew. Either way his stomach still churned because Andrew’s reaction was one thing, everyone else would be something else. 

“What’s going on, Buckaroo?” Hen asked. 

Buck was still looking at Andrew. “You figure it out on your own?” 

“No,” Andrew said. 

“Oh,” Buck said because of course Chimney had told him. 

“Buck?” Hen asked. 

Buck cleared his throat and he didn’t address Hen directly, but everyone. “The thing is,” he said and noticed how everyone was looking at him. “I lied and I talked myself out of every single chance that I had to come clean. I didn’t even know your name, Andrew. I knew nothing about you and I was stupid and I lied and I couldn’t take it back. Not when...when I guess that I fell in love with you…”

Andrew was still holding his hand and he froze, frowning. “With me?” he asked, shocked. “But, Buck—”

Buck shook his head and a small humorless chuckle escaped. “No. Not with you, Andrew. With...all of you. Your family...your friends. I walked into that hospital room with no one and by the time I left I had an abuela and an aunt and friends. Family. And you all just welcomed me in with no hesitation because of your love for Andrew even when I didn’t make any sense at all. Especially, then. And I love all of you for that. But I lied and I’m really sorry about that. And I don’t belong here. I never did.” 

He could feel how wet his cheeks were. His voice had cracked with the emotion a few times, but he couldn’t focus on that when Andrew’s hand fell away and when Pepa looked upset. Isabel’s face was a blank and Buck couldn’t tell what she was thinking but she was okay which was enough. Somehow, Buck’s eyes met Bobby’s and there was disappointment there mixed in with confusion. Hen wasn’t looking at him. 

Buck dug into his pocket and brought out Andrew’s keys.

“Here,” he said, thrusting them at him. 

Andrew took them. “Buck—”

Buck shook his head. “I always knew it would end this way. It’s okay.” 

Chimney was trying to catch his eye and Buck had no idea where Josh was but that didn’t matter because Maddie was suddenly there and she looked apologetic and sad when she grabbed him around the elbow, pulling at him because at least she knew that what Buck needed was to leave. The truth was out. Buck had made it a few steps when he thought to look back. His eyes landed on Eddie. 

Eddie was braced against the island and his eyes were fixed on Buck, his eyebrows set in a deep frown and there was anger and disgust in the way that he looked at Buck, an expression that Buck had never before seen on his face. In a way, he looked like he was holding himself back, teeth gritted and his knuckles white where they were holding onto the counter. 

Buck wanted to apologize to him as well, but he didn’t know if that would make it better or worse. 

Maybe being right didn’t want to suit Eddie. But he’d kissed Buck. That was a thing that had happened just hours earlier and the Eddie standing there in the kitchen wasn’t the Eddie that had done that. He probably regretted it, now. And Buck didn’t imagine that any explanation would make any of it better. It hurt his chest to think about it and to realize that this was probably the last he would see of Eddie. Eddie hated him. 

All of it...it was really truly over. 

In the living room were Christopher and Denny. Buck didn’t know Denny all that well, but he knew Christopher. Buck wasn’t sure if he should stop and say goodbye, and in the end when Maddie steered him to the door, he figured it might be best if he didn’t. 

He and Maddie had nearly made it to the door and it was so absolutely telling that no one was coming after them. No one was chasing him and trying to get him to stay. Not even Chimney or Josh. They’d all liked him and welcomed him in when he was Andrew’s boyfriend but now that the truth was out, he was nothing to them. Buck didn’t blame them one bit. He’d know that this was the way it would go. 

“Buck,” he heard suddenly, the voice small and a bit raspy. Christopher. 

Buck turned. “Hey,” he said and crouched down when Christopher approached. 

Christopher was still wearing that bandage around his wrist. “I won’t see you again, will I?” he asked.

Perceptive kid. 

“I don’t think you will,” Buck said. “I’m sorry.” 

He didn’t expect Christopher to hug him, but he hugged him back and ran a hand through the boy’s curls. He was going to miss this kid. He was going to miss all of them. He could feel the emotion, the tears that wanted to pour out and he tried his best to keep all of it at bay. 

“It’s okay,” Christopher said. 

“Be good to your dad, kiddo,” Buck said. 

Christopher touched his cheek. “You’ll be okay, kid.” he said and wiped away one of Buck’s tears. 

Buck had no idea how much Christopher understood. Probably not a whole lot, just enough to know that Buck was leaving for good. 

Maddie was standing by the door and Buck moved to join her when he felt paws on his legs. In all the confusion, Buck had almost forgotten about Legolas. Legolas barked at him, pawing at him and Buck couldn’t help but drop down to the floor and wrap his arms around the dog. He loved Legolas. He ran his hands down his back and pressed a kiss to the top of his head and he knew he was crying against his fur. 

“You be a good boy, Legolas,” Buck whispered. 

When Maddie opened the door, Legolas tried to step in front of Buck as if to stop him from leaving. 

“Legolas, stop. Sit,” Buck commanded and Legolas listened. He sat and looked at Buck and let out a soft whine. “I’ll miss you, bud. But you have your owner back. Go on, back inside.”

It broke his heart to see Legolas move away. When Buck stepped towards the open door, he glanced back once more and found Andrew. Legolas had walked to his side and Andrew crouched down to pet him. Buck let himself smile even through his tears. Andrew nodded at him and then Buck stepped out. 

Maddie was waiting by the steps. A few hours ago this was where he and Eddie had kissed. At least he had the memories of that to remember him by along with everything else. Their friendship...the days spent out in Andrew’s yard with Legolas, and other times too at the hospital and in Buck’s car. Memories were all that Buck could hold onto, he was used to that. 

“Buck, I’m so sorry. I just—”

“Don’t,” Buck said and his sister must have heard the way that he was just managing to hold himself together because she didn’t say anything else not even when they had gotten back to his apartment and Buck just walked up the stairs, ignoring her and everything else and dropped into his bed.

His room had always been a comfort, a place to escape where he could just be and where all the facades could fall away and Buck didn’t have to pretend that everything was okay. He’d always known that things would come to this eventually. But no amount of preparation for it had made him ready to feel how empty it left him. 

Later, and Buck couldn’t tell how much time had passed, he felt the bed dip and Maddie touched his shoulder. 

“Hey,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here. I really...I made a mess of this for you. I could tell they meant a lot to you. I’m so sorry, Evan. I should have stayed away. I...I should—”

He heard it in her voice, her instinct to run away. She was going to leave him again...

“Don’t leave,” Buck whispered. “Don’t leave me.”

“I screwed things up for you. I shouldn’t—”

Buck reached out and grabbed her hand. “Don’t leave, Maddie.”

“I won’t. I’ll stay as long as you need me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo that finally happened. Hope everyone liked this one. It’s one of the chapters that I was looking forward to writing since the beginning.
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/624998683626356736/im-with-you-1822) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	19. Chapter 19

The moment that Maddie accused him and Buck of sleeping with each other, Eddie had been filled with a cold dread. The plate he was holding in his hand had fallen and he hadn’t know how to form words, especially since he was sure that everyone had heard Maddie. She was wrong, too, of course. He and Buck had shared a kiss and nothing more, but even that was a breach of trust...and it would hurt Andrew but a kiss felt like a lesser betrayal. 

Everything that happened after that, Eddie hadn’t expected it and maybe that’s why his entire reaction had been to be frozen on the spot, seething, but without managing to express any of his feelings. 

Pepa had been so angry and Eddie had felt when it was directed at him. Pepa was scary. Then Buck had been there apologizing but not because he had cheated on Andrew — even if it wasn’t what Maddie said — but because everything had been a lie. And Eddie’s whole world had fallen apart and even while the anger wanted to burst out of him, Eddie hadn’t had the energy to let it. 

Afterwards, when Buck left the kitchen, Eddie had felt like all the air had been taken from his lungs...like Buck had taken it with him. Buck had lied to all of them. He’d lied about who he was and kept the whole thing going for weeks and weeks. Eddie had known. He’d been right all along to suspect that something was going on. Being right shouldn’t have made him feel the way he did. Suckerpunched and defeated. 

Legolas barked and suddenly, he could move. Andrew, he realized, had gone after Buck. Everyone else had either gone back outside or they were talking amongst themselves but they were at least distracted from looking at Eddie until Andrew was back and suddenly in front of him. He could tell that some of the others were trying to figure out if they should approach Andrew or not. Weirdly, he didn’t want to be right...not like he had back at the beginning. He didn’t want to be right, he wanted Buck to still be there even as Andrew’s boyfriend because at least that would mean that Eddie got to keep him in his life. 

Andrew looked like none of it had affected him but before he could say anything to Eddie, he was tugged away by Pepa and Eddie could only watch as she spoke to him and then motioned at abuela. 

“It’s such a shame that happened,” Pepa said. “Estas bien, Andrew?” 

[...“Are you okay, Andrew?”]

“I’m fine, Pepa. Really, I am. Is abuela okay?”

“Yes. I’ll take her home now so she can get some rest. I’m sorry we let this happen, we should have asked more questions or looked into him a bit more. I’m just so sorry.”

“No es tu culpa, Pepa,” Andrew said and he hugged her. 

[“It’s not your fault, Pepa”]

Pepa turned to Eddie, then, and she looked reasonably contrite but she didn’t say anything. Instead she pulled him into a hug and Eddie was surprised by how much he needed it. 

“I’ll see you both soon,” Pepa said. 

No one was bothered with the food anymore, Eddie noticed. Instead, they were all — other than the kids — outside and probably discussing the whole thing like the big gossips that they all were. 

Eddie couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the last fifteen minutes, still. It wasn’t just the whole lie thing but also that there was no knowing if Buck would have kept the thing going or if he’d been planning on telling them. Buck was a guy that he had trusted with his son and that Eddie had...he kissed him. It felt far away, like it hadn’t happened just a few hours earlier and yet it was hard to forget how much Eddie felt for Buck. 

“Somehow, I didn’t think you’d take it this bad.” 

Eddie was startled out of his thoughts. Andrew was looking at him, frown in place and his arms folded and Eddie knew he was right. It should have been Andrew who was upset. Andrew who had believed that Buck was his boyfriend and whose house a complete stranger had been hanging out in while he was in a coma. 

“He lied to us,” Eddie said and it stung to say it, to think back to all those times that he’d spent with Buck. 

“He was lonely.” It wasn’t Andrew that spoke but Josh. 

Eddie looked at Josh and his surprise must have shown on his face. Josh shrugged at Eddie and Eddie was suddenly reminded of how he’d accused Buck of cheating on Andrew with Josh. He’d been so jealous. 

“Yeah, I knew,” Josh said. “And I also know it was eating him up inside to keep lying. He’s wanted to come clean for a while.” 

“None of that makes it okay,” Eddie said and he hated that he was the one saying that. It was just that he felt like he’d been taken in. 

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t change that he’s a good guy who never meant to hurt anyone,” Josh said. 

“But he did,” Eddie said. 

“Andrew looks like he’s okay,” Josh said complete with a shrug. 

Buck had shoved into their lives and he’d made all of them like him and Eddie had been suspicious from the start but it had been only too easy to like Buck and to include him and want him around and in Eddie’s case...he’d been attracted to him — was still attracted to him. He’d been torturing himself with the guilt of falling for a guy that was supposed to be with his brother and Buck must have known — he certainly did after that kiss. Maybe Andrew was unscathed from it all, but Eddie wasn’t. Worse, if Buck could do that to him and know how Eddie felt and not say anything then...then didn’t that mean that Buck felt nothing for Eddie? Somehow, that was worse. 

“Anyway,” Eddie said. “He’s gone. Probably for the best.” 

Saying it made him feel cold. It wasn’t for the best. It wasn’t...not when Buck had brought this warmth to everything. But he’d taken it with him, Eddie realized. 

“Eddie—” Andrew began. 

Eddie shook his head. 

They were interrupted by Karen and Hen. Both of them hugged Andrew, coming up on either side of him. 

“Never meant for your party to be so dramatic,” Hen said. 

“It’s okay,” Andrew said. 

“We’re taking off. But we’re so glad you’re out of the hospital and back on your feet.” 

Andrew smiled. “Thanks.”

“Get back to work quick, won’t you?” 

“I’ll try,” Andrew said with a laugh. 

“Bye, Eddie,” Hen said and touched his elbow. Karen hugged him and then they were gone. Eddie noted how neither of them mentioned Buck directly, like it had been a choice they made to not bring him up. 

“I think I’m gonna go too,” Eddie said. He needed to. He didn’t know if he could hang around Andrew’s house where so many of his memories with Buck lived. 

“Eddie, don’t,” Andrew said. “Stay. We should...we should talk about it. About Buck.” 

Eddie shook his head at once. “I don’t think there is anything else to say about him. We barely knew him and he was a liar. So that’s that.” 

“That’s what you do, isn’t it? You just pack all of your feelings in a tight little ball and hide it away somewhere instead of dealing with them. Come on, Eddie, this isn’t that simple.” 

The last thing that Eddie needed was his brother talking to him about Buck. Andrew didn’t know him and he certainly didn’t know how Eddie felt or how Buck had let him feel guilty when Eddie had gone and kissed him. There was nothing more left for him to do than move on. 

“I gotta go,” Eddie said and stepped around Andrew. 

Out in the living room Christopher was sitting with Denny and had at least managed to get through most of his food. Legolas was sitting on the couch by the window that looked out to the front of the house and Eddie didn’t think he was imagining that Legolas was missing Buck. 

“Hey, kid. We’re gonna go.” 

Denny was also getting his stuff together to leave, he realized. Christopher didn’t make a fuss and it didn’t take him long to be ready to go. 

“Crazy stuff tonight,” Hen said. 

“I hope he’s okay,” Karen said. 

“Who? Andrew?” Eddie asked. 

Karen shook her head. “Buck. At least he has his sister. That must have been tough on him, though.” 

Eddie decided not to respond. When they got outside he busied himself with Christopher and then waved at them before he helped Christopher get in the car and got in himself. The emptiness didn’t want to go away...but the anger remained too.

—

After everyone left, and it was just him and the dog, Andrew finally had a moment to take in his place. It was a little messy and there was going to be food in his fridge for days, but none of that took away from the fact that he actually knew his house. He knew where all his things were and what his things were too. It was nice to have all the blanks filled in and all he’d needed was to go home. 

Andrew didn’t care to clean up the mess his friends had left, so he locked up and headed upstairs. He hadn’t been up there once since getting back yet and he wasn’t surprised that it looked like nothing had been touched. Other than...it was possible that the dog had been sleeping on his bed. There was also a good layer of dust on most of his things including the clothes he’d left lying on the floor. 

“So, I guess we’re doing laundry, dog,” Andrew said. 

Legolas glanced at him and then walked away and Andrew couldn’t help but chuckle. He heard the dog go down the stairs. 

Andrew spent a half hour getting everything down into the washing machine before sitting down in his living room and turning on the tv. Legolas sat by the window, looking out as if he expected to see someone that wasn’t coming. Andrew already knew it was Buck. 

“You got attached to him, huh, boy?” Andrew asked. 

Dogs really were not Andrew’s thing. Animals in general were a bit difficult for Andrew because of all the work that went into caring for them. Dogs were especially difficult with all of the things they needed. With everything that had happened to him, though, things hadn’t exactly gone to plan. Andrew knew he was going to be spending some time in the morning making a few calls. The most important being finding out where his car was. 

The one number that Andrew wished he had was Buck’s so he could call him and explain his side of things. Buck hadn’t looked good when he left. Eddie had maybe looked even worse, though and Eddie would probably be harder to deal with because Andrew wasn’t stupid and even though he was sure that Buck and Eddie hadn’t slept together, something had happened. It must have for Eddie to be so angry. All that anger could not have been for his benefit, that was for sure. 

Legolas didn’t even follow him up to his bedroom when Andrew finally had clean sheets and duvet. He had made his bed back up when his phone rang and he wasn’t surprised when it was his mom. 

“Hi, mom,” he said and wondered if she knew about Buck already. 

“Hi, Honey. How are you? Back home, right?” 

“Yes,” Andrew said. “I’m home.” 

Andrew listened to her as she talked about how she’d wanted to be there when he left the hospital and wondered if maybe he should mention everything to do with Buck or let her find out from someone else. There was no telling how his mom would react to that. She gave him the answer herself a few minutes later. 

“And I do hope Buck stayed with you because I hate the idea of you alone in that house.” 

“I have Legolas,” Andrew said even though the dog wasn’t anywhere near him. “And, um...well, Buck wasn’t really my boyfriend, mom. I’m not...I’m not gay or bisexual.”

“What are you talking about?” 

Andrew took a breath. “Mom, Buck and I were never together. It was a misunderstanding and he didn’t know how to tell everyone the truth.” 

“But we...we let him. Andrew, he was a complete stranger? That’s...that’s not—”

“He’s good guy, mom. None of that changes. I knew pretty quickly after I woke up and things kind of blew up here so I don’t know if any of us will even see him again.” 

“Good. He lied to everyone, Andrew.” 

Andrew sighed. “Yeah, I know,” he said. “Can’t blame him for it, though. You guys were all so welcoming to him, of course he wanted to stick around. Anyway, I’m gonna go to bed. Talk to you soon, mom.” 

“Love you,” his mom said before he hung up. 

—

“Explain it to me. All of it,” Maddie said. 

Buck didn’t know if he even wanted to. He was still mad at her...well, mad that she had forced his hand because Buck had wanted to do it less like ripping a band-aid off and more like taking baby steps. The hard part was not knowing if his way would have left him feeling so lost again. At least he had Maddie. 

She’d gone through the trouble of making him breakfast as some kind of apology, but nothing had any taste to it. 

“I already told you,” Buck said. “The misunderstanding at the hospital and I kept the whole thing going.” 

“Yeah, but you didn’t tell me about Eddie,” Maddie said. 

Eddie. Buck had expected him to yell and rage and get angry but instead he’d been oddly silent but when Buck did look at him, he’d seen that he wasn’t taking it as well as Andrew had. Buck couldn’t help but wonder about what might have happened after he and Maddie left. 

“Andrew’s brother,” Buck said. “We got to be really good friends while Andrew was in the coma.”

“And more,” Maddie said. “So, I was right? You are—”

“No,” Buck said, cutting her off. “No. That never...I liked him. Probably more than I realized I did but with Andrew and with everything else, I couldn’t exactly tell him. Not without telling the truth.” 

“Which of course, you couldn’t do,” Maddie said pointedly. 

Buck didn’t look at her. Instead he looked at his eggs and he poked them with his fork. He wanted to keep the kiss to himself, to hold on to it and cherish it because Eddie had felt the same way even if maybe everything else that happened had soured that entirely. 

Buck stood up and he left Maddie behind in the kitchen, not sure that he could sit there with her any longer. He missed them all, but none more so than Eddie. He missed their friendship and the place where they had gotten to after Eddie stopped being rightly suspicious. There was Hen too and the easy way that she’d befriended him. Bobby and Athena had welcomed him in with no question and although Buck hadn’t seen them as much as he did the others, they were still decent people. Then there was Pepa and Isabel...they had felt like family. Like family that he hadn’t had for a long time. 

“I’m sorry, Buck. I really am,” Maddie said, touching his shoulder. “I just...I saw the way you looked at Eddie and I just...I jumped to conclusions when I shouldn’t have and after all the lying I knew you were already doing, I—”

Buck waved her off. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

Buck had gotten a text from Chim early that morning, followed by a few from Josh but he hadn’t felt up to talking to either of them even if they could tell him how everyone was doing now that they knew everything. 

—

Eddie was glad that he didn’t have to go into work the day after the party at Andrew’s house. He took Christopher to school and knew after he got back that if he didn’t have Christopher, he likely would not have left his bedroom at all. 

He was still angry at Buck. Everytime he thought about him the anger came back. Worse of all, all he wanted to do was go and see Buck although he wasn’t sure exactly what the purpose of seeing Buck would be because as much as Eddie wanted to go over and yell at him, there was another part of Eddie that was also well aware that the obstacle of Buck being with his brother was gone. Buck was free. Eddie just didn’t know if that was enough. 

At one point, Eddie remembered not answering a call from his mom. He figured she probably knew about Buck and she was the last person that he wanted to talk to because he knew she would blame him for not figuring Buck out. That was just what his mom did. 

Instead, Eddie caught up on his and Christopher’s laundry. There wasn’t much cleaning for him to do since his mom had done such a thorough job when she was around that nothing had gotten messy enough yet to require attention. Eddie spent some time paying his bills and making sure that he wasn’t forgetting anything else, and then he sat down in his room and he let his mind go back to the day before. 

Buck’s sister had accused him and Buck of sleeping with each other and Eddie did have to wonder about why she’d drawn that conclusion especially after how she mistook Eddie for Andrew at first as well. Eddie hadn’t been able to tell what Maddie knew. He was also very curious about her being back especially after everything Buck had ever told him about her. It worried him a little even though it wasn’t his place to worry about Buck. It was just that Buck had been hurt by her deeply and now she was back and she’d also been the catalyst to end the lie Buck had kept going. 

Eddie must have been lost in thought, because he didn’t hear anyone knocking on his door or even someone opening the door until Andrew was standing in the doorway to his bedroom. 

“So, you’re not answering calls?” Andrew asked. “I wanted to let you know my car is just fine. Could have used a ride to go and pick it up, but I can see you’re being angsty today.” 

“Angsty,” Eddie repeated.

“Wallowing. Like that better?” 

“Go away, Andrew,” Eddie said. “What are you even doing here?” 

Andrew crossed his arms across his chest and leaned into the doorway. “I came to check on you and to have that talk we didn’t get to have yesterday. Really, I’ve been everywhere today and this is my last stop.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy?” 

Andrew rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. But I still have a few questions. Mostly to do with Buck.” 

“With Buck,” Eddie repeated and he hated the way that Buck’s name sounded on his lips. 

“Well, more to do with you and Buck. Because see, I figured I’d give you the night to sulk but we still have to talk about this and whatever happened. Because something did.”

“Yeah, some random person decided to pretend to be your boyfriend and we all let him. I let him watch my kid. I was right to not trust him but since everyone else liked him—”

“Eddie,” Andrew said. “Come on. It’s more than that.”

Eddie knew it was more. He also knew that it would be easier to just forget it all and to move on and not think about Buck at all. It was all over and looking at Andrew and the calm way that his brother was taking it all, it made it easier to decide on that. Wouldn’t it be better for all of them if Buck just wasn’t a part of their lives. He wasn’t the guy that Eddie had thought he was because that guy wouldn’t have lied or kept something like this going for so long. He wouldn’t have let Eddie kiss him…

“Eddie, he’s a good guy. And I know you care about him.” 

“How would you know? You were in a coma, Andrew,” Eddie said a bit harder than he’d intended. None of this was Andrew’s fault. 

“I have eyes,” Andrew snapped back. 

“And no memory,” Eddie muttered. “You don’t even remember your freaking dog.” 

“I remember everything,” Andrew said and anything that Eddie might have wanted to say faded away. “I remember everything including that dog. Legolas. Which...I gave him that name as a joke. I had him for a day before the accident and I didn’t get him for me. You forget how well you know me. I don’t like dogs, Eddie! I also have never been interested in dick! But you...you like both.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last line in this chapter might very well be my favorite line in this entire fic, quickly followed by the last line of ch. 17. 
> 
> I actually had a hard time writing this chapter and I still am not entirely happy with it but could never pinpoint the exact reason why but I hope all you enjoyed it. 
> 
> And just three more chapters left. Eeek. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/625447281411358720/im-with-you-1922) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	20. Chapter 20

“What does that mean?” Eddie asked, looking directly at Andrew who finally pushed off of the wall and stepped into the room. 

“It means that even I noticed there was something going on with you and Buck. Maddie realized it after just meeting you. And it’s okay because I’m as straight as I’ve always been. Although, kissing him wasn’t bad. I could have swung it and kept that going for a while. Meant to, had things gone differently at that party.” 

Andrew smirked and he watched Eddie closely. His brother scowled and Andrew knew him well enough to know that it bothered him to hear about him kissing Buck. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Eddie said. “Doesn’t mean much of anything now.” 

Andrew scoffed. “Of course,” he said. “You’re gonna just forget all about it, right? You’ll shove it aside like you’ve always done with every bit of real feeling. He doesn’t deserve that, Eddie.”

“We didn’t deserve to be lied to,” Eddie said, his tone was low but there was an obvious hurt there. “So it doesn’t matter. He’s nothing to us. To me.” 

Andrew rolled his eyes. His brother was nothing if not someone that stuck to his convictions even when it meant that he was hurting himself along the way. 

“If he’s nothing, then why are you upset?” Andrew asked, more calmly than he felt. 

Eddie didn’t answer. He shrugged his shoulders instead. “I could tell there was something off about him from the start. Should have pushed harder on that front, but I didn’t. I’m sorry. And now, it really doesn’t matter. He’s gone and we can move on with our lives. Get back to how things used to be.” 

Andrew admittedly had never intended to tell Eddie this way. Him showing up to see Eddie had always been about Buck and about Eddie’s anger, but maybe it was also about having Eddie understand that things weren’t going to go back to the same it had been. 

“It won’t,” he said. “In part because you’re seething in anger. And you’re being stupid about it. But also...also because I’m leaving.”

Eddie’s head shot up so fast to look at him, that Andrew worried he might have pulled something on his neck. 

“What does that mean?” Eddie snarled. “You’re leaving?” 

“Not now. Soon. But that isn’t the point, what happened with Buck, Eddie?”

“Nothing,” Eddie said. “Nothing at all.” And Eddie finally looked away from him. 

“So is it that nothing happened? That Maddie was wrong and you’re not sleeping with him? That you wanted to. That you care for him. Eddie, you let him leave. You didn’t even try to speak to him.” 

“And he let me think that I was betraying you!” Eddie snapped and he stood up from his bed and walked away towards his window. “Any thought...any attraction that I had for him was wrapped up in thinking about your feelings and how you loved him. In all that guilt. He let that happen. He let that happen even after I…”

“After you what?” Andrew asked. 

Eddie dropped his head into his hands and he mumbled something that Andrew didn’t hear. He didn’t repeat himself. Instead, Eddie walked past Andrew. Andrew followed a few paces after him. 

“What did you do?”

“Nothing that matters now,” Eddie said with a sigh. “If he...if he felt anything for me he would have told me the truth.”

“Eddie…”

“No. Drop it,” Eddie said. “He lied to you. How do you think that was okay for him to do? Why aren’t you angry? Fuck, Andrew, none of what he did was okay. You can’t think it was.”

They were in the kitchen and Eddie had started to do his dishes. He was frenetic in his movements, not quite doing the task at hand but refusing to stop and refusing to continue. It was a great representation of how torn he felt inside. It hurt to see his brother that way and yet, Andrew could also recognize that there would be no pushing Eddie into seeing sense and letting go of the anger. 

“I knew pretty soon after I woke up,” Andrew told him. “And I was mad at first until…” Andrew trailed off and he didn’t know if Eddie was aware that Chim had known all along. 

“Until what?” 

“Until I realized that there’s a reason he did it.” 

Eddie set down the bowl he was holding and he turned and leaned on the counter. “Are you somehow flattered that he has a crush on you?” 

There was a flash of jealousy in his eyes and in the way that he crossed his arms, leaving suds on the sleeves of his shirt. 

“No. Although...I mean, shouldn’t I be flattered?” His lips quirked up into a bit of a smirk. 

Eddie groaned. 

“You told me, yourself, Eddie. His loneliness. How he had no one. Everyone welcomed him right in, how could anyone expect him to just leave? To want to?” 

He could tell that there wasn’t much that anyone could say that would make Eddie’s anger and his hurt dissipate and allow him to see past it and see that out of everything that had happened something good could come out. 

“Fine,” Eddie said eventually. “Doesn’t change what happens next. I don’t want to talk about him. And you’re leaving.”

“And I’m leaving,” Andrew said. 

Eddie didn’t press or ask anything and Andrew didn’t know how to explain it. This was a thing that had been happening before the accident and that the accident couldn’t change. Andrew had been making preparations for it and other than Josh, no one else knew. 

“What does Legolas have to do with it?” Eddie asked eventually. “You said he wasn’t for you?”

“Well, that’s a funny story,” Andrew said. 

Eddie motioned for him to go on so Andrew moved to sit down. 

“One of the days that you weren’t on shift we went on a call to a fire at a seeing eye dog training facility. Chim was making all kinds of jokes about a dog pulling the fire alarm. It was a quick in and out. No one was hurt and the fire was minor. But I was impressed by the dogs there. We all were. We had some time to wait and I got to talking to one of the trainers.”

“Okay,” Eddie said. 

“So, he was talking about this dog that he’d raised from a puppy and how the dog didn’t seem to be doing well in the program. He didn’t pass a few of the crucial tests. I think he was asking if the firehouse wanted a dog. But it occurred to me that while Bobby might agree to that, that you love dogs. And that Christopher would love a dog. And I figured it would soften the blow of me leaving. I figured if this dog was trained as well as he had been that he’d be good for Christopher. I know it was the only thing that stopped you from getting a dog on your own.” 

Eddie didn’t seem to know what to say. A speechless Eddie was one of his favorite versions of Eddie. 

“I told him I was interested and a few days later I got a call and he told me that the dog was mine. Legolas didn’t pass further tests to go into the next step of training and Mark figured that the dog would be better off with a real place to call home. And Mark gave me a bunch of stuff when I picked him up toys and food and whatever else. So I brought the dog home with me and I took off all the stuff blocking that doggie door. Later that afternoon the accident happened.”

Eddie laughed then and it seemed to come as a surprise to him. “So you were replacing yourself with a dog?” 

Andrew shrugged his shoulders and then looking straight at Eddie. “Before I met Buck and realized that he would make a better replacement. Yes.” 

—

Buck shouldn’t have been surprised when Josh showed up at Coffee Time a few days later. 

“You know, I don’t like being avoided,” Josh said in lieu of ordering. “When’s your break? I’ll wait for you.”

“He can take his break now,” Ali said and she nudged him away from the cash register. “Go.” Her pointed look shifted back into a smile as she turned to look at Josh. “Want anything to drink?”

“I suppose I could take an iced tea. Green tea, if you have it.” 

Buck watched them. He’d managed to tell Ali everything that happened at Andrew’s welcome home party. Buck had even told her about the kiss. The way that her eyes had widened when he told her made him have no regrets on letting her in on that particular part of the day. When Buck told her about how Maddie was back and she was the reason the truth came out, that had garnered another reaction out of her that he hadn’t expected. A mix of anger and annoyance and protectiveness. 

“So, she stops by to blow up your life?” Ali had asked. 

“She’s staying,” Buck had responded even when he himself was wondering if she would truly stick around. 

“You don’t even know that for sure, Buck,” she’d said. 

“Go talk to him,” Ali said motioning to Josh and pushing Josh’s iced tea and Buck’s own usual coffee order into his hands. 

One of the things that Ali had tried to get him to agree to was that he should try and talk to Eddie and maybe even all of the others. Buck hadn’t told her about how Chim still texted him and how Josh had called him a few times. There was even an unopened text from Hen that Buck was too anxious about opening. If he didn’t open it, then he wouldn’t know what it said and Buck was far more okay with that, than finding out if Hen really did hate him for everything he did. 

Josh had picked a table off to the side and away from the other occupied tables. 

“Hi,” Josh said with an easy smile. “How are you, Buck?”

“I’m okay,” Buck said. “You?” 

Josh pursed his lips. “You know, I hoped I was your friend. But you’ve been ignoring me and I don’t like it.” 

“I’m sorry,” Buck said. “I — I didn’t know what to say or how this might work or just any of it. And my sister...she’s around and she…” Buck trailed off looking at Josh. “Wait, your job. That’s something she could...By any chance, is there a way you could help my sister get a job working dispatch? It’d be perfect for her and she might stick around. I...I need her to stick around.” 

Josh took hold of his hand. “I think I can help you out with that. That’s what friends are for, Buck. Now, how are you really doing?” 

“I’m fine. I have to be. I guess, I’m trying to figure out what comes next because the one thing that all of this made me realize is that I can’t keep doing what I’m doing and living like I’m waiting for something to happen.”

It had taken him a few days to come to that conclusion. Maybe because a part of him had been hoping that it was Andrew or Eddie that texted him or called him the next time that he looked at his phone. When it didn’t happen, Buck realized that he was waiting for someone else to decide what happened next for him and he couldn’t do that. 

“And what does that mean?” Josh asked. 

“I don’t know yet,” Buck said. “Maddie thinks I should go back to school. It’s an option. There’s others.”

It didn’t stray far from his mind, that conversation that he had with Andrew about how Andrew had first thought that Buck was a firefighter. He just didn’t know if he could do it. If he could face becoming something that might be fulfilling and that he might love when it might bring him face to face with everyone from the 118. With Eddie. 

—

“You haven’t talked to Buck yet,” Chim said. 

Eddie dropped into the chair next to Chim at the table. “No,” he said. 

Andrew sitting across from him rolled his eyes. “You should. Or...you should let me talk to him.” 

Eddie was actually surprised that Andrew hadn’t already called Buck up or tried to reach out in some other way like showing up at Coffee Time. He was respecting Eddie’s wishes even if he used any free moment to try and push Eddie into calling or texting Buck. 

“He’s not answering you,” Andrew said, directing it at Chimney. 

“Nope.”

“Josh went to see him last week,” Andrew said. 

That was news to Eddie. A part of him wanted to ask for every detail of how that had gone. He was desperate to know how Buck was doing and how things were going with his sister around. He wanted to know everything. That of course warred with the other part of him that wanted to forget Buck entirely. Anger rose up in him constantly. Eddie didn’t know what would come out if he did talk to Buck again. 

Any more talk of Buck was put to the side when a call rang out. Eddie was grateful even if the curiosity to hear anything about Buck was killing him. 

“You can keep pretending you don’t care, but we all know you do,” Andrew said. “Stop being so stubborn.” 

Of course, as it turned out, Eddie didn’t have to wait long to see Buck. The call was to Coffee Time. Well, to just outside Coffee Time where a man was on the sidewalk surrounded by people and Buck, complete with apron, was knelt at his side talking to him and apparently keeping him calm. The man’s neck looked red and already bruising and he seemed to be trying to talk but nothing was coming out. 

“No. No, stop that. Just calm down. Paramedics will be here soon. You’ll be just fine, Justin.” 

It was eerie how this scene must have been just like what happened with Andrew. It was no wonder that Bobby had held Andrew back. Eddie wished he’d stayed with them. 

Another man hovered close by the wounded, looking worried. Eddie froze next to him at the sight of Buck. He was glad that Hen and Chimney were there to take care of the actual emergency and the reason that they were there. 

Hen was the one to touch Buck’s shoulder and he got out of the way but not without first giving the man’s hand a squeeze. Then, his eyes found Eddie and he turned away at once and then quickly moved past the crowd. Eddie hesitated for a few seconds before he followed Buck, passing by Ali who offered what might have been an encouraging smile. Eddie couldn’t quite tell. 

Coffee Time was empty. It seemed that everyone had rushed out to see what was happening outside. Eddie didn’t look back at the crowd as he walked in. Buck was halfway to the counter, but he glanced back when he heard the door. 

The weird thing about seeing Buck was that Eddie had maybe expected to see everything that had happened reflected in Buck. He had expected to see Buck burdened by it. But, Buck was unchanged. He was the same Buck that Eddie had seen that night at the party and that Eddie clearly hadn’t seen fully. 

“Is that what you do, then,” Eddie said. “You run away. I guess...well, I guess that explains why you’re so alone if you don’t try to stick around.” 

Buck’s back was still mostly to him, but he turned to face Eddie completely and his brows furrowed and his mouth slackened like he was ready to say something. An explanation or an excuse or maybe even some sort of defence for what he’d done but no words came out. 

“I mean, clearly none of it mattered to you. You insinuated yourself into our lives and then you just left. And you lied to us and just strung us along. And there you stand like none of that happened. What, were you going to tell that man out there you were his fiance or something?”

“No,” Buck said. “Of course not.”

Eddie let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, moved on to other schemes? Other lies.” 

“It was an accident and a misunderstanding,” Buck said. “I didn’t mean for it to go that far. You were there, I explained. I can’t—”

Eddie took a step forward. He hated it. Buck was emotive, his face displayed his emotions far too well and it shouldn’t have been a surprise that hurt flitted over his eyes and that his mouth was drawn into a tight line. Eddie had kissed that mouth. He’d done it and felt the weight of so much guilt fall upon him over it when it had all been so unnecessary, when it could have been different. 

“You lied to us. To me,” Eddie said. 

“I’m sorry,” Buck said. “I’m sorry, Eddie.” 

Eddie wanted to scream. He wanted to cross the last few feet between them and shake Buck so that he could understand that the breach in trust had ruined everything. It had changed everything. 

“You let me...you let me think that — I kissed you!” 

Buck inhaled a breath. 

“I kissed you,” Eddie repeated. “I kissed you and the entire time...the entire time I was hating myself because you were my brother’s boyfriend. You were with Andrew and happily so as far as I could tell. But I kissed you and you kissed me back. And you didn’t tell me! You let me think I was betraying Andrew.” 

“Eddie, I—”

Eddie shook his head. He didn’t want to hear anything that Buck might want to say, not when it wouldn’t change anything. Not what happened. Not the feeling of being betrayed and lied to and worse the not knowing how Buck might feel about him. 

“And none of it...none of it was real, was it? You were playing some part. I guess I was right all along.” Eddie turned away from Buck. It felt horrible being right. 

“It was real,” Buck whispered.

Eddie didn’t think it mattered. He shook his head more to clear his head than anything else. When his eyes found Buck again, he took in how glossy his eyes looked and the way that he seemed pulled taut, like he could be torn apart at any moment. And slowly, he realized that he couldn’t be the one to keep Buck together. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Eddie said and he turned and left Buck there. As he got to the door, it opened. It was Ali and she eyed hi but didn’t say anything. 

Eddie glanced back once and all he saw was Buck’s back and Ali’s hand on his shoulder. She did turn and shoot him a glare. Eddie didn’t linger. As he stepped outside, he realized that nothing about the whole thing had given him any closure or made him any lighter. 

The ambulance was gone and the crowd had dispersed. Hen was still waiting for him, though. Chimney must have gone with the victim. 

“What happened to him?” Eddie asked. 

Hen fixed him with a look. “Construction workers were carrying material and he ran straight into what they were carrying with his throat. He’ll be okay. And he has a date.” 

“A date?” Eddie asked. 

“Apparently, we came in right at the end of some sort of coffee shop pinning romcom. Are you gonna tell me what happened with Buck?”

Hen led him back to the truck. Andrew was leaning against the door with Bobby at his side. He was definitely going to hear it from him as well. 

“Nothing. Doesn’t matter. You should stop texting him. He isn’t a part of our lives anymore. That’s all.” 

—-

“Buck, do you want to talk about it?” Ali asked. 

She was being gentle with him, not pushing. Buck could hear Eddie’s words. The way he’d looked at him when he said “I kissed you” as if it was something that Buck could have forgotten. He could feel it, the despair that Eddie was feeling and how much deeper the lie was and how it had made Eddie feel guilty and torn about Buck. Of course, all of that was gone. Buck had ruined it...whatever might have become of what Eddie felt. 

“Are you okay?” Ali asked. 

“I’m — I will be.” 

He was glad that he hadn’t answered Chim and Hen, then. He was glad that he hadn’t reached out to Andrew like Maddie wanted him to do. It was all really and truly over. 

“I guess it was always going to end like this,” Buck said. He’d said it time and time again any time that the prospect of coming clean had come up. When it did, he would lose them all. 

“Buck, come on, you can’t believe that. Haven’t they been trying to get ahold of you.” 

“It doesn’t matter. I just have to move on. It’s for the best.” 

“Move on to what?” Ali asked. 

They made it behind the counter and Ali went to stand at the register as a few of the customers returned. Buck couldn’t help but think about the guy that had collapsed outside. Justin. He was one of the regulars and according to Ali, hopelessly in love with one of their other regulars. Buck had seen him fall outside and without saying anything to Ali he’d run out ignoring the order he was in the middle of making. 

Someone was already in the middle of talking to 9-1-1, so Buck checked on Justin. He was awake and breathing even if he couldn’t talk and Buck had been able to see that he was starting to panic. So, he started talking to him and keeping him focused on breathing and not moving. 

He was meant to help people. Buck couldn’t ignore that urge just because of the 118 or because of Eddie. LA was huge, anyway, and Buck would just make sure that he was assigned as far away from them as possible. He didn’t even have to work in LA. 

“I think...I think I know what I want to do,” Buck said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that I was definitely tempted to end this fic with this chapter. That scene in the coffee shop could have easily gone very differently but I think it was really necessary to have Buck and Eddie have a confrontation about everything and I think for Buck to understand that Eddie is very truly hurt by it. 
> 
> And we finally know the whole mystery of Legolas. He's a failed seeing eye-dog. There are many out there because the requirements are so strict and precise that even a dog that's been trained well can fail at becoming one. 
> 
> Can't believe it's just two more chapters. 
> 
> If anyone is interested, this fic is currently being translated into Chinese by [trosa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trosa/pseuds/trosa) and can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25749913/chapters/62531764)
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/625901741378043906/im-with-you-2022) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	21. Chapter 21

It wasn’t until a few weeks later that Andrew explained what he meant when he said he was leaving. Apparently, it was because he’d been offered a job on a wildland firefighter crew. Eddie knew at once that their mom was not going to love hearing that, but he could also see how much Andrew wanted to do it and so he would do it no matter what anyone said. 

“You’re crazy, you know that,” Eddie said. 

Andrew shrugged. “One of Josh’s friends is a smokejumper and I just...as much as I love what I do now, that has some appeal for me, you know?” 

“No, I don’t,” Eddie said. “Have you told mom and dad yet?” 

“No,” Andrew admitted. “Mom wouldn’t understand.” 

“I can’t say that I understand,” Eddie said. 

Andrew just shrugged him off. “It’ll be a few more weeks. I’m gonna go visit them and let them know. But, Eddie, I’m doing this. Anyway, how’s the dog doing?” 

“Legolas is doing fine. Christopher loves having him around. I keep meaning to say thank you. And it’s lucky that Carla likes him too. He’s really well trained.” 

Eddie hadn’t been too sure about taking Legolas in not because he didn’t like the dog or because he was worried about how Christopher would deal with it, but because Eddie knew his work schedule on top of Christopher’s schedule meant he wasn’t home enough to watch the dog. Or to walk him. He hadn’t been sure that Carla would welcome the new addition to his house, too, but she loved Legolas. And then past all of those reasons, there was the Buck of it all. Buck had loved Legolas and any memory that Eddie had of the dog was attached to Buck. 

“That’s good,” Andrew said. “And have you considered talking to Buck?” 

Andrew brought it up every single time they talked. Eddie ignored it. 

“Eddie, come on.”

“I did talk to him,” Eddie said. “Remember. And that’s that.” 

Andrew didn’t push. Eddie was sure that soon he would stop asking and Eddie just wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. It wasn’t that he wasn’t angry anymore, it was that he missed him. He had known Buck for merely a few weeks, but he’d carved a space in Eddie’s heart and he’d taken that piece with him and Eddie hated him for it. He hated him for all the guilt that he’d made Eddie feel and for how Eddie couldn’t in his own mind figure out how much of everything had been lies or almost lies. Mostly, his mind always went back to the kiss. Buck had kissed him back. 

It was no indication that Buck felt anything at all for Eddie, but Eddie did think that it was more likely that Buck did feel something than not. None of that meant that Eddie could actually make himself call or text Buck. 

He did spend a lot of time wondering about how Buck was and how things were going with his sister. Once, Eddie had even driven all the way over to Coffee Time, but he hadn’t even gotten out of his car. 

Sometimes, Eddie just hoped to run into him so that meeting him was out of his control and it could happen. The universe was just not that interested in helping Eddie out like that. For a while, Eddie had hoped that maybe Andrew would force the issue and make Eddie somehow see Buck again, but that didn’t happen either. 

So, Eddie focused on Christopher and on Legolas. He visited abuela and Pepa. He hung out with his friends, and he did his job, and he prepared himself for the day when his brother wouldn’t be with him in the ladder truck. 

—

Maddie was well aware that she had showed up in her brother’s life and made a mess of things for him. Buck had always been resilient though, so she wasn’t too surprised when Buck didn’t hold it against her and his mood improved until one day he showed her his application for the Fire Academy. 

At first Maddie had wondered if that was a good idea and if Buck really did want that, but it became pretty clear to her that it was. Especially once Maddie met Josh because Josh could fill in the blanks that Buck hadn’t. He told her all about Buck’s quick reactions in emergencies and about the day that Buck had spent babysitting Christopher. 

“He’s quick on his feet and physically...I mean, I have eyes, Maddie.” 

Maddie liked Josh. He was sweet and funny and exactly the kind of person that she needed in her life. He also seemed to care about Buck a great deal which meant that Maddie appreciated him even more. Josh was the last tie to the Diaz brothers seeing as Buck wasn’t talking to anyone else that tried to reach out to him. In part, it was because of her. Josh was instrumental to getting Maddie her new job. It wasn’t an easy job and Maddie never could have imagined being a 9-1-1 dispatcher and yet it was a different way to help people and it kept her relatively anonymous which suited her situation well. 

Maddie was not at all surprised when Buck got accepted into the training program. She did worry about his reasons for wanting to pursue a career that might bring him closer to the people that he wanted to avoid, but Maddie also knew that she needed to let him make his own choices. It was partly for that reason that Maddie also started to search for a place of her own. 

Buck’s apartment was nice. Much nicer than Maddie could have expected when she first arrived, but it also only had the one bedroom up on the loft and while Buck’s sofa turned out to be really comfortable, Maddie also needed to have her own space. 

Buck went apartment hunting with her the first few times she started looking, always trying to push Maddie into finding a new apartment for the two of them instead. Eventually, she made him stop following her around. It was on one of those days when she was on her own that Maddie ran into Eddie Diaz. 

Maddie didn’t even recognize him at first. After all, she’d seen the guy all of once and there had been other things for Maddie to worry over at the time. Eddie did recognize her. 

“Hi. Maddie, right? Buck’s sister?” 

“Eddie?” Maddie asked. “Or is it Andrew?” She was looking at the dog attached to a leash that was currently lifting his leg against a pole. The dog belonged to the fake boyfriend right? 

“Eddie,” Eddie said. “How...how are you?” 

“Good. Thanks for asking. And you?” 

“I’m fine,” Eddie said. “Just taking this guy out on a walk. Uh, how is — is Buck doing alright?” 

Maddie didn’t know how to answer. Her brother was resilient. He was strong. He was probably the strongest person that Maddie knew. He was also floundering a bit even while he found his professional passion. 

“He’s okay,” she settled on. 

Eddie’s brow creased into a frown and his eyes shone with concern. Eddie really was handsome and that was so indicative to why Buck had liked him. Did like him? Maddie really didn’t know what Buck felt about the whole thing. He didn’t really want to talk about it and the last thing that Maddie wanted to do was to bother him and pester him to talk about anything he didn’t want to talk about. 

“I’m glad that he has you,” Eddie said. “He, um, he was really lonely. Missed you a lot.”

“Buck talked about me?” Maddie asked. 

Eddie gave a short nod. “We all wondered where his family was...why he was so alone. He told me about you and how he hadn’t seen or heard from you in years.” 

There was an accusation in his words and he was watching her. The dog sat down at his side without much bother to complain about the pause in his walk. 

“I think that’s my business, don’t you?” Maddie asked. “I mean, considering that you haven’t tried to talk to my brother since all of that went down. He doesn’t say it, but I’m pretty sure he misses you. All of your family. From what I can tell, it’s why he kept up that lie for so long and why it was so hard for him to tell you all.” 

Eddie looked all at once like he’d been punched, but also like he was ready to do some of the punching as well. 

“Buck isn’t answering Chim or Hen. I think even Athena tried to call him,” Eddie said in a low tone. “And I’m sure he won’t answer if I try either. I guess you Buckley’s are practiced at that, though. You screened his calls for years.” 

Maddie didn’t know what to say. In all actuality, she didn’t know Eddie very well. Or, at all. He was just the guy that his brother had become friends with and that he’d lied to about dating his brother. The whole thing was complicated and only made worse by the knowledge that Buck had bonded with these people. He’d allowed them in and told them things about his life. About her. He had to be hurting more than he’d allowed Maddie to see and not just about the loss of these people he’d grown to care for, but because Maddie had abandoned him. She left him. 

“I’m sorry,” Eddie said and he touched her elbow. “I’m not handling a lot of this well. I just mean that when we talked about you he was always really sad. And you’re obviously here and I’m glad. I’m so glad he’s not on his own anymore. But I also know him well enough to know that he probably hasn’t told you about how he felt not being able to reach you.” 

“You care about him,” Maddie said. 

Eddie shrugged his shoulders. “That isn’t the point,” he said and then, “I have to go.” 

He walked away and Maddie was left wondering why men had to be so stubborn. 

—

Some aspects of his training were easier and others harder, but Buck loved everything about the Fire Academy. It did remind him a little bit of his Navy Seals training, but it was different too. By the end of each day, he was exhausted in a way that meant Buck’s mind could stop thinking about Eddie. Eventually, his thoughts did go back to him and to the last time that he saw him at Coffee Time and mostly it meant that Buck could replay their conversation and come up with all the ways in which it could have gone differently. All of them ended with them on better terms. Friends. Maybe more. Often he thought about how it could have been more. 

A few weeks into training, Buck had just finished his day and gone to pick up some groceries when he ran into Chimney. 

“Buck!” Chim said and hugged him before Buck could move. “It’s been so long! And look at you, you’re looking good. How are you?”

“I’m — I’m good. You?” Buck asked and he felt a bit awkward because of course he’d been ignoring Chim’s texts. 

It was mostly to do with how Buck just didn’t know what to say or how he was supposed to keep Chimney as a friend and not constantly want to know about the rest. He wondered about Pepa and Isabel all the time. He worried about the 118 and the kind of scrapes they might get into on calls. Once, he thought that he saw Athena when he drove by a police car, but it was his eyes tricking him. 

“I’m good. We’re all good,” Chimney said. “I do wish you would have answered my texts. But, I get it.”

“You do?” Buck asked. The last thing he’d expected was for Chimney to not be upset with him. 

“Of course. None of that was easy for you. And what are you up to now?” 

A part of Buck didn’t want to tell him, but he’d done enough lying. So he smiled some. “Actually, I made it into the fire academy.” He avoided looking at Chim directly as he said. 

“What? That’s...Buck, that’s amazing,” Chimney said and clapped him on the shoulder, his face lit up in such a genuine manner that Buck was glad to have told him and to have Chim’s support. It reminded him of how good of a friend Chimney really was. 

“It’s going well,” Buck said. “I think it’s...it’s what I’m supposed to do. And how is...how is everyone?” 

He almost asked about Eddie directly. He did want to know about everyone, but it was Eddie that he wondered about. 

“They’re great. Hen is going to be jealous I got to see you. She’s not upset, you know. None of them are. They’d like to see you, I think.” 

“Not Eddie,” Buck said. 

Chimney tried to hide a grimace. “I’m sure he’d want to see you,” he said. “He’s been...well, Andrew says he’s being a stubborn child.”

Buck laughed at that. “How is Andrew? Is he doing okay?” 

“He has all his memories back,” Chimney said. 

By the time that Buck and Chim went their own ways, Chimney had gotten Buck to promise that they could do dinner soon. Chimney even went as far as to invite Maddie along. 

“I mean...what else could she possibly have to yell out about you that I don’t already know?” Chim said. 

“Sure. And invite Hen. Karen too, if you want. I — I do want to see them again. I’ve missed them. Everyone, really.” 

That was how just a week later, Buck found himself in his car with Maddie, driving over to Chimney’s apartment. Maddie was telling him about the apartment that she’d finally settled on and as glad as Buck was to know that his sister was going to be staying, he also wasn’t looking forward to not having her around at his apartment all the time. 

“So which one was Chim again?” Maddie asked when Buck had parked. “And what kind of name is that anyway?” 

“Nickname. His real name is Howie,” Buck said. 

It wasn’t Chimney that opened the door when Buck knocked, though. It was Andrew, his smile wide and with that twist of mischief. He pulled Buck into a tight hug the moment he saw him. 

“I won’t kiss you this time, don’t worry,” Andrew said before he let him go and Buck couldn’t help but laugh. 

“I didn’t expect to see you,” Buck said. 

“Well, I’ve been expecting you,” Andrew said. “Kinda a change for us, isn’t it? Anyway, come in come in. And, Maddie. Hello, I hope you brought your inside voice.” 

Buck almost laughed when he saw that Maddie’s cheeks had gained some color at that comment. Instead, he steered Maddie inside and Andrew just shrugged when Buck glanced at him. Buck hadn’t managed to step much farther before Hen was standing in front of him. She didn’t hug him or say anything, instead she punched his shoulder. 

“Did your phone get destroyed in an earthquake again?” she asked. 

“Ah...no. I didn’t—”

“You’re an idiot,” Hen said and then hugged him. 

Chimney showed up, then with Karen behind him. “Well, come on everyone. Dinner is ready.”

“By which he means that he managed to take all the food out of the take out containers,” Andrew said with a nudge at Buck. 

“From what I hear, you’re not much better in the kitchen,” Buck said. 

Andrew raised an eyebrow. There were parts about Andrew that reminded Buck of Eddie, but it didn’t hurt like he’d thought that it would, to see Andrew. 

“So, I said something once about you making me dinner,” Buck said. 

“And how did you get out of that lie?” Andrew asked. 

They walked into the dinning room. Maddie had already sat down with Chimney and they seemed to be getting along. 

“I, um, I think I acted like I was shocked that you would lie about your cooking skills,” Buck said. 

“Of course,” Andrew said and he stopped Buck before he went to sit. “Buck, I want to hear everything. How all of that was for you. How it happened. All of it.” 

Buck froze. He didn’t know if he’d ever expected for Andrew to ask about it so point blank. 

“I don’t — I’m not mad. I guess I just want to know more. If you’re willing to tell me.” 

“Yeah,” Buck said. “Yeah, sure.” 

“Cool.” 

Buck sat down in the seat next to his sister and Andrew sat across from him. Karen called his attention from next to Andrew and Buck remembered how he’d always really liked Karen as she started asking about how his training was going. 

“You told them,” Buck said. 

Chimney shrugged. “They asked about you.” 

“And I think that I get to take some credit for you doing this. Don’t I?” Andrew said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Buck nodded at him. “I guess you kind of do,” Buck said. In all reality, he owed Andrew a lot. Without Andrew and his penchant for buying coffee almost every day, Buck would have never met any of these people — he wouldn’t have met Eddie. 

“I’m glad you’re doing it,” Andrew said. 

“I am too,” Buck said but turned back to Karen. “How’s Denny? Where is Denny?” 

“He’s over at Athena and Bobby’s,” Hen said. “Hanging out with Harry.” 

Buck nodded. He was sort of glad that Athena and Bobby weren’t there. It was easier with Hen and Chim. Athena was intimidating and in some ways so was Bobby. Buck had no idea how they’d reacted to learning about all the lies Buck had told. 

“You might end up being a good replacement for this guy,” Chim said as everyone started to dig into their food. 

Buck paused mid-chew, but quickly finished chewing and swallowed. “What does that mean?” He looked to Chimney first, but then his gaze went to Andrew. 

“I’m transferring to the Smoke Jumpers,” Andrew said. 

“What’s that?” Maddie asked. 

“Wildland firefighter,” Buck said with just a touch of awe. 

“I’ve been planning this for a while,” Andrew admitted. “Before the accident even.” 

Buck nodded and he returned his attention to his food. Around him other topics of conversation started being picked up. Chim was telling Buck about his own experience in the fire academy while Maddie was telling Karen about her new job at dispatch. Buck was glad that Maddie liked it so much and that she was sticking around. 

“I’m glad you have her,” Andrew said with a motion at Maddie. “You know, when I first found out you were lying to me, I was angry. And then Chimney told me about how alone you were and why this all happened and I could tell once I got to talk to you. And then, well, I figured messing with you a little was the least I could do.”

“Of course,” Buck said. 

“And messing with my brother was fun too,” Andrew said. 

Andrew fixed him with a long look then, a knowing one that told Buck that Andrew knew everything. Or maybe not everything, but that he had some idea about what had happened with him and Eddie. 

“How is he?” Buck asked. 

“Stubborn mostly,” Andrew said. “But he misses you, Buck.” 

Buck didn’t want to admit to Andrew how much he missed Eddie, too. How much he wished that things could be different between them. 

“And I think you’re being a little bit stubborn too,” Andrew said and he quirked an eyebrow. 

“I wouldn’t even know what to say,” Buck whispered. “Last time I saw him...it didn’t go so well.” 

But he missed him and he wished that being around Chimney and Hen and Andrew and even Karen didn’t make him wish that Eddie was there too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left! I can hardly believe it! 
> 
> If anyone is interested, this fic is currently being translated into Chinese by [trosa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trosa/pseuds/trosa) and can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25749913/chapters/62531764)
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/626259610186268672/im-with-you-2122) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, we are at the end. Enjoy.

Eddie saw the pictures before he heard about the get together at Chim’s apartment. Karen had posted a few pictures on Instagram and Eddie had just happened to open the app in time to see them. The thing that struck him the most was that Buck looked happy. He was smiling wide standing between Hen and Karen and then in another with his sister. And then in the last picture, it was Buck, Chim, Hen, and Andrew. 

So, it was to Andrew that Eddie went first. “How’s Buck?” 

“He’s good. Which doesn’t mean that you’re off the hook on talking to him.”

Eddie shrugged him off. 

“He really is good, Eddie,” Andrew said. 

Hen brought up the dinner later, filling Bobby in on Buck and more specifically that Buck was training to become a firefighter. 

“I think that would be good for him,” Bobby said. 

Eddie didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected that at all. Buck was going to be a firefighter. 

A week later, he watched Maddie enter the station. She was on her own and Eddie was up on one of the trucks doing some maintenance so she didn’t notice him. Eddie got to watch as Hen greeted her, but then it was Chimney that she left with. 

“What’s up with that?” he asked Hen later when they were leaving the station. 

“Chim said something about Maddie needing a comprehensive movie guide,” Hen said with a shrug. 

“Is Buck really okay?” Eddie asked. 

Hen gave a slight nod. “He’s doing something he loves and he has his sister back. I think — I think Buck is okay. He’ll be okay even if you never talk through whatever you’re still angry about. But I think the two of you should talk.” 

“He should be the one to—”

Hen raised a hand to stop him. “What, to apologize? He sort of did that already. Andrew isn’t even holding it against him, so I don’t get why you are.” 

“I’m not holding—”

“You are,” Hen said. “But you shouldn’t.”

He couldn’t make himself call. Or text. And then, when he finally built up the courage to return to Coffee Time to see if he could catch Buck there, Buck wasn’t there. Not the first time he stopped by. Not the second. The third time that he went in and didn’t find Buck, Eddie finally asked the person at the counter. 

“Buck doesn’t work here anymore,” Buck’s former co-worker told him which meant that Eddie had to actually call him or text him or show up at his apartment. None of which felt like something he could actually do. 

He did need to do something, though, because Buck was a constant thought in his mind. He was past the anger and past all the resentment he’d felt about the guilt that Buck had made him feel and instead he just missed him. He was reminded of Buck constantly. Legolas alone could bring forth memories and then there was everything else. Everyone else who still had a connection to him and saw him if not regularly, at least they did see him. 

All of it came to a head when he was over at abuela’s house with Christopher. Andrew was supposed to join them but he was running late so while Christopher was outside with Legolas, Eddie had a moment with his abuela. 

“No estás bien,” she said. “Te veo triste, mijo.” 

[“You’re not okay.” she said. “I can see you’re sad, kiddo”]

“I’m okay, abuela,” Eddie responded. 

“This has to do with Buck, doesn’t it? Ese día en la fiesta de Andrew, todo lo que pasó con Buck. Todavía estás enojado?”

[“...that day at Andrew’s party, everything that happened with Buck. You’re still angry?”]

Maybe there was some lingering anger but it wasn’t even directed at Buck. It was more that Eddie wished things were different and that somehow if Eddie hadn’t gone and lost Buck’s friendship that something more could have been possible. The potential for more between them...it felt like it was lost. 

“Eddie, qué estás esperando si lo extrañas tanto? Andrew dice que Buck está bien. Va ser un bombero.”

[“Eddie, what are you waiting for if you miss him so much? Andrew says that Buck is okay. He’s going to be a firefighter.”]

“It’s not just that I miss him,” Eddie said and he took a deep breath. “I think...I think I love him. I think he’s the only person I’ve met since Shannon that I could see myself spending the rest of my life with and even though I like to think that I actually do know him, he lied. He lied to all of us. So how much of what he told me is real? And then there’s...well, who knows how he feels about me.” 

Abuela gave him a pointed look but she didn’t get to say anything because Pepa arrived. While Eddie could easily figure out that his abuela wasn’t too bothered by any of what Buck had done, Pepa was different and Eddie just couldn’t tell how she felt mostly because she didn’t ever bring up Buck. And if his name came up, she raised an eyebrow and said nothing more. 

“Didn’t know you’d be here, Eddie,” she said. “I just spoke to your mom. She and your dad are coming back next week?” 

Eddie nodded. The only part about his parents returning to LA that he liked was that they were going to be staying with Andrew. Like Pepa, his parents had said very little on the whole Buck debacle. Eddie suspected that they’d talked to Andrew about it. Maybe Andrew had put them off on talking to him about Buck. Eddie didn’t mind that too much because if Andrew was pushy, his mother was much worse.

“I think mom thinks she’s going to convince Andrew not to go through with it,” Eddie said. 

Pepa chuckled. “I wish her luck. And how are you doing, Edmundo?” 

“He’s missing Buck,” Abuela said. “I miss him too.” 

“He lied to us,” Pepa said. 

“Pepa, no seas asi. Ves a este chico, esta enamorado.” 

[“Pepa, don’t be like that. Look at this boy, he’s in love.”]

Eddie just groaned. He felt Pepa’s hand land on his hair, running her fingers through it gently and soothing. “Eddito, if you really feel like that, what are you waiting for?” 

“You just said it. He lied to us and I have no idea how he feels or what will—”

Her hand tugged at his hair suddenly and he yelped. “Stop thinking so much. You’ll drive yourself crazy. You just have to talk to him.”

“Right, like that’s easy.” But they were right. He did need to talk to Buck. 

Pepa was looking at him still. 

“Look, I can’t pretend I’m not still mildly upset about all of this with Buck. But, I also know that he didn’t pretend to be anything different than who he is with us. And I’m sure once I see him again, it’ll be easy to forgive him.” 

—

Buck was so busy with his last few weeks of training and how grueling it all was to notice much outside of what it meant to be so close to being done. So, he didn’t realize that Maddie and Chim hung out more than he hung out with either of them. He also failed to open any of his mail or check his phone — mostly because he knew his bills weren’t due for a few weeks yet and everyone that was important in his life knew that he was too busy to do much more than train and sleep and as such would understand when Buck didn’t respond right away. 

And then when those final weeks came to an end, came the testing. The written portion and the physical all of it combined to measure all the skills that Buck had learned over the last few months. It felt surreal to have gotten to the end and even more surreal when there were results in front of him and he passed. Top marks. Any station would have him. 

“But there is one that has put in a request for you, Buckley,” one of his instructors, Danny, said. 

The 118. Buck just didn’t know if that was what he wanted. Andrew was already off of the 118 and as much as Buck loved Chim and Hen, he didn’t know if it would be possible for him to work with Eddie. He also hadn’t seen Bobby yet since everything happened but Bobby had clearly put through the request to get him so he had to be okay with it. 

“The 118?” Buck asked. 

“You have friends there, Buckley?”

“You could say that,” Buck said. “I just don’t know if going to work with them is a good idea.”

Danny touched Buck’s shoulder. “The people you work with on this job, those people become family. You’ll spend more time with them than you expect and you will know every single one of them better than you’ll know anyone else because it’s that closeness that makes this work. It’s trust that makes it easier for you to do your job. We leave everything behind to do this, to focus on saving lives, but it’s far easier when you’re carrying the burden of this job with those you work with.”

Trust. It came down to that, to how Buck knew that Eddie didn’t trust him. 

“I think I have to turn that offer down,” Buck said. 

“Think on it, Buckley. You don’t have to decide now. Captain Nash, he’s one of the best. Maybe talk to your friends before you decide. No one will be assigned officially until tomorrow.” 

“Right,” Buck said. “Thanks.” 

It wouldn’t change for him, he knew. He wouldn’t do that to Eddie, he wouldn’t encroach on his space, push in where he wasn’t wanted even if it would disappoint Hen and Chim and maybe even Bobby.

Somehow, it wasn’t Maddie that he called to talk about it, though, but Andrew. And Andrew agreed to meet him for coffee at Coffee Time. 

Ali was there when Buck arrived. Buck joined the line while he waited for Andrew. He had almost made it to the front of the line when Andrew entered and Buck felt a little like he’d gone back in time. Andrew pushed the door open and he was just as handsome as ever as he walked in. Buck couldn’t help but smile, remembering when he’d been behind that counter admiring this man. 

“Buck!” he said as he approached and he pulled Buck into a tight hug. “How are you?” 

“I’m good. Great, even.” 

“Wait, wasn’t today...wait, are you a probie officially?” Andrew asked. 

“That I am,” Buck said and he couldn’t help but smile to himself. “And it seems like Bobby is trying to pull some strings to have me join the 118. That’s, um, that’s why I asked you to meet me.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Andrew said. “I spoke to him about it and we all felt you’d fit in perfectly in my spot.”

Buck took a breath, but they had reached the counter at that point and Ali was there with both of their coffee orders ready and a plate with danishes. Andrew picked up his cup and the plate and motioned towards one of the empty tables. 

“So, you two together officially, now?” Ali asked. 

“What? No. Andrew isn’t into men. But we’re friends now.” 

“Well, he’s still really nice to look at,” Ali said complete with an eyebrow wiggle. “Think there’s a chance he could—”

Buck rolled his eyes. He put a bill down in front of her and grabbed his coffee. 

“I’m just saying, Buck, you could put in a good word for me.”

Buck laughed. Andrew was waiting for him at a table. 

“You don’t want to join the 118,” Andrew said after Buck sat down. 

“I — I don’t know, Andrew. I mean I love Hen and Chim and Bobby and I liked everyone else from the station well enough but there’s Eddie to consider too. I doubt he’d be happy to have me around.”

Buck averted his gaze, staring at his coffee instead. 

Andrew chuckled. “You haven’t spoken to him? I thought — Eddie said he was going to talk to you weeks ago.”

“I haven’t spoken to him,” Buck said and he hated how a burst of hope ran through him. He glanced back up at Andrew. “I’ve been...I’ve been busy, though. Is he, is he mad at me about it, still?”

“I don’t think he is,” Andrew said. “If he ever really was. Look, Buck, my brother is stubborn. We both know that. He needed time. Maybe less than he got if we’re honest, but he did...and more importantly, you needed time. And look at you, look at what you’ve done. What you are. You did all of this on your own and you needed to.”

Buck didn’t know how to respond. He took a gulp of his coffee. It was hot, maybe a bit too hot, but the slight burn on his tongue felt good. 

“You should talk to him,” Andrew said. “If you want. Or you should join the 118. Or you can go somewhere else and be whoever and whatever you want to be. All, I’m saying, is that this is all up to you, Buck. You made a choice to save my life and maybe you got something out of that too—”

“By lying,” Buck said, interrupting. “By pretending that I was someone to you and by continuing that charade even when I...when I knew it was going to blow up in my face.” 

Andrew’s fingers were cold when they touched Buck’s hand, taking it into a tight grip. “You did something stupid, but not malicious. And you’re better for it. I know my family, I know the effect that they have on people and I’m not just talking about Pepa and abuela and my parents, but everyone. And you needed them. You needed their kindness and their acceptance and it’s entirely possible that we all needed someone like you. Even, Eddie. Maybe especially Eddie.” 

“I don’t know what to say.” 

“Just answer one thing for me,” Andrew said and he was smirking, full teeth. There was mischief there which meant that Buck couldn’t help but worry. 

“What?” Buck asked. 

“Do you love him? Eddie, that is?” 

Buck’s hand fell away from Andrew’s. And he knew the answer. He absolutely knew the answer which didn’t make it easy to admit. 

“You do,” Andrew said. “That’s why this is so hard. Go talk to Eddie.” 

“Right now?” Buck asked. 

“Why keep waiting?”

“Because I have no idea how to do this,” Buck said. 

“Tell the truth. That always helps,” Andrew said and then he pulled out a pen from somewhere and wrote down Eddie’s address. “Go.” 

“But—”

“Go,” Andrew said, even more insistent. 

Buck looked at Andrew for a beat longer and then glanced back at Ali. “You know, my former co-worker over there wanted me to put in a good word.” 

Andrew laughed, loud and surprised. 

“Of course, I should also add that the first time I stepped into your house there was a bra hanging off of a lamp so I don’t know if I should actually encourage that.” 

“Buck, stop getting distracted and go,” Andrew said pointedly. 

—

Eddie’s yard was not as big as Andrew’s, but it was enclosed and it meant that Legolas had somewhere to run around with Christopher. Eddie did sometimes take him over to Andrew’s place so he could have a bit more space or over to his abuela’s house. On a few occasions, Eddie had even taken Legolas and Christopher to the dog park, but Eddie always worried about the other dogs getting too close to Christopher. Although, as it turned out, Legolas could be pretty protective of him. 

Christopher and Legolas were both out in the yard and Eddie had been keeping his eyes out on them through the kitchen window while he made him and Christopher sandwiches. Christopher was sitting on the grass and petting the dog which meant that Eddie felt okay with leaving them to it for a moment and going to the bathroom. He had barely closed the door before he heard Christopher shouting and some barking. 

“Legolas! Legolas, come back!” 

Eddie ran out. Christopher was standing with only one of his crutches. Legolas was gone. Eddie didn’t see him anywhere. He rushed towards Christopher, who reached for him. 

“Hey, what happened?” Eddie said as he picked him up. “Are you okay?”

“He ran,” Christopher said. “Like when the earthquake happened. Dad, do you think this is another earthquake?” 

It was a real possibility. Eddie was aware that animals acted strange whenever things like earthquakes happened. 

“I don’t know, Chris,” Eddie said and yet the dog was nowhere to be found. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. He can’t get out of the yard.” 

At least, Eddie was sure that he couldn’t. In the time that they’d had Legolas, he hadn’t once tried to get out of the yard. Eddie bent to pick up Christopher’s fallen crutch just as he heard barking, but it was definitely not coming from anywhere in the yard. 

“Daddy, I hear him,” Christopher said. 

It sounded like he was somewhere in the front of the house. So maybe he did have a way to get out of the yard or the door hadn’t been latched properly. 

Eddie set Christopher down and headed to the door leading out of the yard to the front of the house. He heard Christopher following behind him. Eddie stopped short just as he was rounding the house because Legolas was there wiggling excitedly, his tail wagging to and fro as he jumped around and his whole body shook with excitement. Buck was on the ground doing some mixture of petting and hugging Legolas while the dog licked his face. 

“Buck,” Eddie whispered, so low that Buck definitely didn’t hear it. 

Then, Christopher arrived and he didn’t pause like Eddie did. And he yelled, “Buck!” 

Buck glanced at them, then, and he smiled that blinding smile that made Eddie suddenly remember how attracted he was to this man. Buck was there in front of them. He was smiling. He was at Eddie’s house, hugging Eddie’s dog and in the next moment hugging Christopher and laughing. Eddie could only watch. 

“Hi,” Buck said and he had Christopher up in his arms. Legolas walked alongside him. Christopher was speaking too, explaining something or other to Buck, but Eddie couldn’t be bothered to pay him any attention because Buck was right there looking at Eddie with those sea-like eyes. 

“Hi,” Eddie said back after a long beat. “You should come inside.”

Buck nodded. 

Eddie wanted to touch him. He wanted to grasp his hand or his elbow or his shoulder. He wanted to get close enough so that he could smell Buck’s aftershave. He wanted to pull him into his arms and hold onto him tightly. All of those things, he wanted them so that he could be sure that it really was Buck in front of him and he wasn’t experiencing some wild hallucination.

The elusive man that he’d been trying to get ahold of for the last few weeks with no results was there with him and his son and his dog. Eddie had been almost convinced that Buck was avoiding him for all that his attempts to find him were futile. Eddie had even gone as far as to get Maddie’s number off of Chim only for Maddie to tell him to call Buck or show up at Buck’s apartment. Eddie had attempted both a few times on top of texting him and somehow just couldn’t get a response. 

Eddie led Buck inside the house through the front door. Buck only set Christopher down once they were inside and Legolas seemed to want to stick as close to Buck as possible. Eddie didn’t blame him. 

“I was — I’m making sandwiches,” Eddie said. It felt awkward. “Do you—” Eddie cleared his throat. “—do you want to join us?” 

“Uh. Sure,” Buck said. 

Christopher led Buck to the table and Eddie left them to go into the kitchen where he tried not to freak out too much as he pulled out more bread for the third sandwich he was going to be making. He could hear Buck and Christopher talking. Christopher laughed and Buck chuckled a few times. Once, Legolas barked. 

Eddie could only take so long making the sandwiches before he had to take them out of the kitchen. There was a lot to talk about. Apologies to be made. Explanations. But Christopher was there and they couldn’t discuss any of that while Christopher was with them. But, Buck was there. Buck was with them. It was enough to know that Buck had come to them. 

—

Buck had intended to take his time walking up to Eddie’s house, to talk himself into knocking on the door and to maybe not get in his head so much that he couldn’t actually knock. But then, he heard a bark and suddenly golden fur was running at him and Legolas was jumping at him until Buck just dropped to the ground to pet his favorite dog. 

“I’ve missed you so much, boy,” Buck whispered into his fur. “Did you miss me too?” Legolas nudged him and pressed into his space, his whole body moving with all the excitement. 

He was so distracted by Legolas, that Buck didn’t even realize Eddie had come out to find the dog until Christopher was calling his name. 

The next thing he knew, he was hugging Christopher and in a strange sort of daze, he followed Eddie into the house and Eddie disappeared into the kitchen and Buck didn’t know if he could stomach anything Eddie brought out. Christopher was a good distraction. The boy filled him in on a few things. He told Buck about a new coloring book and about Legolas being his dog and about a cartoon he was watching and Buck lost himself to talking to Christopher for a while until Eddie came back. 

Tension hung in the air between them and Buck had expected nothing less. Eddie had welcomed him in, though, and he hadn’t asked Buck to leave. It made Buck think that he’d made the right decision in going to see him. 

He tried to eat, but couldn’t stomach it. His stomach had been taken up by his nerves and maybe in part by the hope he felt and the awe of having Eddie in front of him again. Eddie looked good. He always looked good. 

After he finished eating, Christopher allowed himself to be distracted and settled in front of the tv, Legolas sitting next to him. Eddie motioned for Buck to go to the kitchen. 

“I’m officially a firefighter,” Buck said for lack of something else to say. 

“Oh,” Eddie said. “Congrats. I had no idea.” 

Buck nodded. “I, um, I probably would have never thought of going for it without everything that happened.”

“You’re welcome, I guess,” Eddie said with a snap in his tone. 

“I’m sorry,” Buck said. “I hope you believe me this time. That I never meant to hurt you. Any of you. I came so close to telling you so many times. Something always stopped me — interruptions or my own head. And I should have let it go on for so long or at all, but I’m going to be honest here, Eddie, and just say that I don’t actually regret it. I don’t regret the lie or getting to know you — everyone. I don’t regret any of that. I couldn’t.” 

“You don’t regret it,” Eddie said in a whisper. 

Eddie crossed his arms and he leaned back against his counter and Buck had no idea what to expect, but the one thing he did know to do was to wait and see what Eddie might say. It helped that Eddie didn’t look angry. Mostly, he just looked like he was trying to figure out what to say. 

“At first I thought...I wished you’d never done it,” Eddie said after a beat. “More and more lately, I’ve realized I don’t wish that. I was...I am angry more at myself for not questioning you more and for not realizing sooner that you couldn’t have been with Andrew. I was doubting my own knowledge of my brother...I was doubting everything I was seeing and I think I let so much just go because I wanted you around even if you were my brother’s boyfriend.”

Buck had definitely not expected that. Eddie was frowning in that cute way with lines on his forehead so prominent that Buck wanted to reach over and ease the tension. Really, he could do with touching Eddie in any way or form. He really did love him. Earlier, when he answered Andrew, Buck hadn’t fully known it. But he did. Having Eddie in front of him, it cemented it. 

“You came really close to the truth,” Buck said. “A few times. The day Andrew woke up, I was gonna tell you. I was so ready to and then Chim was telling us he was awake and I was so sure that it was all over anyway.” 

Eddie gasped and he blushed, not quite looking at Buck. “I was so mad that day. Jealous. I was going to kiss you before Chim interrupted.”

“Oh,” Buck said.

Eddie’s eyes met his then and Buck had to swallow before he made the decision to be brave. Buck had been different once, the kind of person that was bold and didn’t hesitate to encroach in someone’s space. That was before Abby and before he realized that all the loneliness he was feeling wouldn’t go away if he had someone warming his bed. In some ways, that had made it worse. 

“Uh, you should — you should kiss me now,” Buck said, moving even closer. 

Eddie’s eyes widened and darkened all at once and Buck lost himself in them as Eddie closed the small bit of space between them. Buck watched him and when Eddie didn’t do anything other than to stand so close to him that he could feel his warmth, Buck reached up to cup his face. Eddie melted into his touch, his lips let out a gasp. Buck closed his eyes and he leaned into Eddie’s space. 

“I love you,” he whispered before he kissed him. 

Their first kiss had been hard and urgent and Eddie had been in control, his anger and his jealousy and everything else he’d been feeling because of Buck’s lies had been everpressent in the way that he’d wanted to show Buck how much he wanted him. This kiss was not that. 

This kiss was tentative and soft and slow. It was an apology and a declaration of love. When Eddie whispered a moan, Buck smiled against his lips. 

“I love you,” Buck said again, their lips brushing lightly as he spoke. He opened his eyes and Eddie was already looking at him. “Eddie?” 

Eddie pressed their lips together into another kiss. His arms brought Buck flush against him and Buck couldn’t think while he could feel all of Eddie against him, his muscles and his toned stomach and how Eddie kissed away from his mouth, nipping at his jawline up to his ear. 

“I love you too,” he whispered, his lips brushing Buck’s earlobe. “Even if you are a liar.”

“One lie,” Buck said back. “And one I won’t ever regret.”

Eddie chuckled. “Just as long as you don’t pretend to be anyone else’s boyfriend.”

“Am I yours?” Buck asked, a tinge of nervousness travelled through him. 

“I think that’s obvious,” Eddie said. “Otherwise, I don’t know what will happen the next time you save someone, Firefighter Buckley.” 

Buck couldn’t help but laugh. “I love you so much, Eddie. Been kinda miserable without you.” 

“Serves you right,” Eddie said, but he kissed Buck again, just a peck. “But I love you too.”

“Good,” Buck whispered back, dropping his head onto Eddie’s shoulder and dropping a kiss there. 

There were probably still a few things to clear up and more to catch up on, but all of that could come later. It made up the mere details in everything they’d been through. In the meanwhile, Buck just held onto Eddie and Eddie held onto him. 

“You know, we do have to thank Andrew for all of this,” Buck whispered. 

“Nope,” Eddie said. “He doesn’t get any satisfaction out of any of this.” 

—

“Welcome to the 118, Firefighter Buckley,” Bobby said, smiling at Buck. 

Eddie didn’t try to hide his own smile, Andrew noted and Buck was definitely grinning from ear to ear. He was already in uniform and there was an ease to the way that he walked and how Andrew could tell even from where he was standing that Buck felt like he was at home. Hen nudged him from where she stood next to him and Andrew glanced at her. 

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad this all worked out,” she said, “but I don’t even get when that all happened with Buck and Eddie.” 

Andrew chuckled. “You know, I think most of it happened while I was sleeping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has been such a joy to write. I just want to thank everyone that’s read this and that has left commens/kudos because that means so much and one of the reasons this fic got finished by keeping me writing even when I began to lose interest in working on this. 
> 
> I hope this ending was satisfying for all of you and just thank you all so much. 
> 
> If anyone is interested, this fic is currently being translated into Chinese by [trosa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trosa/pseuds/trosa) and can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25749913/chapters/62531764)
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you all thought. :)  
> If you liked it, please like/reblog [this chapter](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/626555183721316355/im-with-you-2222) on tumblr where you can also come talk to me about this fic or anything 9-1-1.


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